Born a Shinigami
by AlternateVick
Summary: Set in a world where Ichigo was born 50 years before the Bleach storyline, what would have happened if Ichigo had died the day that Grand Fisher attacked? How would the story be different? One small (or quite large!) difference can change so many things. But some others remain just the same.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! It took me awhile to actually get myself to write a story, but being bored for longer then an hour helped me more then I thought it would! I don't really have a plot for this. Well, I do, but I don't at the same time. It'll be following most of the regular Bleach storyline, with a few changes here or there. Though, by the title I'm assuming most people are able to tell one major difference. Also, while this is more for my own entertainment then anything else, I would be very happy to know what people think of it. So please, write reviews! Good or bad doesn't matter, I just want your honest opinion. Please keep it polite though. I don't want insults, just criticism. Enough with the introductory though, here's the key!:**

Key:

"Talking"

'_Thinking'_

**Ability**

Definitions[number]: At the bottom of every chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

**With that done, on with the fanfic!**

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><p>Chapter 1: Making a New Friend<p>

Kurosaki Ichigo was many things. He was strong. He was tall. He even had the most extraordinary orange hair anyone had ever seen. But there was one thing that he was not. Alive. He had died when he was just a boy. He had died, alongside his mother, being eaten by a Hollow called Grand Fisher. His mother had tried to defend him, to no avail. While the Hollow preferred women, the two were so close together that the beast had eaten both of them. Luckily for Ichigo, his soul was able to get away thanks to the sacrifice that his mother had made, and it was, a short time later, found by a shinigami[1] and sent to Soul Society. He was sent to the 78th district of Rukongai, and he had been going from hut to hut ever sense. Ichigo didn't know how long it had been sense then. He didn't want to think about it. If you compared him to a human, you would say that he is about nine. He believed that was the same age he was when he died, but he couldn't remember.

That puts us to the present time. He didn't have any friends. He didn't have anyone who cared about him. He was a loner. But that would change today. As he was walking through the pathways, he heard a scuffle off in the distance, down a narrow alleyway. _'What's that sound?'_ the soul wondered, and, as curiosity got the best of him, he slowly walked down the isle. It was dark, so he couldn't see anything. Squinting to try and get a view, he could faintly see a group of shadows moving around. He then heard a voice. "Let go of me!" it said. From what he could tell, it was a female, possibly no older then he was. Suddenly, one of the shadows went flying off in the distance, and a smaller shadow suddenly leaped into the air, kicking the other shadow and sending it flying as well. Ichigo's eyes widened as the small shadow suddenly came darting towards him, and within a second he felt a pain in his chest, and he heard a loud slam.

When he opened his eyes, he found that he was now out of the alleyway. _'What happened…?'_ he wondered. It was then that he realized that he couldn't breath very well. As he looked down, he saw raven colored hair. From what he could see, it was a girl. He figured it was the same girl that he heard… _'Oh… Right… I must've gotten hit.' _He mentally faced palmed himself at his stupidity, having forgotten. Rolling over, slowly standing up, making sure to hold the girl so that she wouldn't hit the ground, he picked her up, and carried her to the hut he was currently staying at. When he arrived, there was no one there. The hut was a little larger then average, having ten beds on each side, and one large table in the center. It had a room off in the back left corner where the bathroom was. Placing the girl on one of the beds, he went over and sat at the table, keeping an eye on the girl.

15 minutes later

Ichigo had nearly fallen asleep watching the girl. It had been a while, and he was getting very sleepy watching someone else.. Well… Sleep. Right before he closed his eyes though, the girl's eyes suddenly snapped open. The sudden waking up of the girl caused Ichigo to immediately stand from where he was sitting. The girl suddenly looked at him, glaring, and did a leaping tackle, obviously assuming he was an enemy.

"Where am I? Who are you?" the girl demanded as she pinned him to the ground. Stuttering because of the sudden position, Ichigo finally managed to get the words out.

"I-I'm Ichigo! Ichigo Kurosaki! You're in the 78th district of Rukongai, and this is the hut I've been staying at for awhile! Please don't kill me!" He said this last line with sarcasm. While he was "young" for a soul, he knew how to defend himself perfectly fine. The girl, however, continued holding him to the ground, scowling at him.

"What am I doing here?" she asked threateningly. Ichigo answered without hesitation, the events of early clear in his mind.

"Well, I was out for a walk, when I heard noises coming from an alley, when I went to check, I got hit in the chest by… "something"… and I was knocked out. When I woke up, you were out lying right on me."

Finally, the girl relaxed her grip, smiled, and said, "I see. And out of concern, you brought me here?" After Ichigo nodded in the affirmative, she finally let go completely, stood up, and looked around the hut. "So you stay here?"

"That's right" he responded. "There's normally other people here, but there wasn't any when I brought you in, and none have shown up yet." As the girl continued looking around, Ichigo finally asked, "By the way, what's your name?"

Turning slightly to look at him, while her back was still facing towards him, she responded, "Rukia."

"Rukia, huh? That's a nice name." Pausing for a moment, Ichigo continued, "So, why were those punks after you?"

Turning to face him completely now, Rukia responded, "They were just mad that I stuck up to them and allowed some kids to get away with some food."

"Really? Wow. That was brave of you." Ichigo said, not expecting what was going to happen next. He received a powerful punch to the stomach.

"You fool! You think that was brave? They weren't even worth wasting my breath on." She finished this last line with her arms folded, eyes closed, and head up in a proud manner.

Holding his stomach that he was sure was broken, he asked, "Did you have to punch me?" with a very comical expression.

Smirking, Rukia nodded. After a few seconds, after Ichigo had recovered, Rukia asked, "So, do you live here, or do you wander around?"

Looking off to the side, Ichigo responded, "I wander about. There's never been a reason to stay in one place."

Smiling, Rukia held out her hand towards Ichigo. "Well then. How about coming along with me? I wander around myself, and two is better then one!"

Thinking for a moment, Ichigo smiled, and took her hand. And thus a new friendship was born.

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><p><strong>Well, there it is. Once again, I'm open to any criticism that will be offered. Please read, and tell me what you think! I don't know when the next chapter will be up. It might be tomorrow, the next day, or it might be a weak from now. I don't know. Anyways, looking forward to seeing what you guys think!<strong>

**Definitions:**

**[1]Shinigami: Death god.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi there! I'm honestly surprised. I hadn't expected to get 100+ views in a mere day. From the reviews, I'm going to assume I'm doing an okay job! I'll be introducing Mr. Pineapple in this chapter. You Bleach fans should know who I'm talking about. :P Anyways, keep up the reviews!**

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><p><em>Smiling, Rukia held out her hand towards Ichigo. "Well then. How about coming along with me? I wander around myself, and two is better then one!"<em>

_Thinking for a moment, Ichigo smiled, and took her hand. And thus a new friendship was born._

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><p>Chapter 2: A New Day, A New Group<p>

A few days had gone past. Ichigo and Rukia continued to wander district 78. They never stopped in one place, they never had a reason too. It was normal for them to do it alone, but now they both had a friend to do it with. They both had the same opinion on the matter. It made it easier to live. While wandering, they helped the other kids around the district as much as they could. Whether it was helping fix something for them, or fighting off a group of grown-ups to protect them. Eventually, they became known as the Inuzuri Duo. Rukia was the talker, the thinker, and Ichigo was to doer. They had quite a few close saves now and then, but most of the time when anyone saw them they ran. Kids grew to love them, adults grew to hate them. That was the story that the red headed boy had heard. That was the story he told his friends. Renji had lived in Inuzuri for a long time. He had gathered together his little group, and together they survived the best they could. They had all marveled at how two souls, two children, were able to have such an impact on the district. Renji viewed them as his idols. That, of course, got them into trouble on a few occasions as he and his group tried to mimic their feats. That's what got them into the situation they were in right now. _'What's wrong with this guy? Why won't he just stop chasing us?'_ Renji wondered as the particularly angry individual chasing them continued to shout "Hey!" over and over and over again. The reason the man was chasing them was because the group had practically destroyed his make-shift shop in order to get water and other supplies to the children of the district. As you can imagine, that didn't go over well.

"He's gonna catch us!" Renji heard one of his friends say. It was Marumaru Futotta[1], the biggest of the group. He was slowing down, rapidly. _'Think fast, Renji!'_ the boy thought. Up ahead, he saw an alley that he thought would take him through to the other street. "Quickly! Through there!" he shouted, and his friends quickly ran into the alley. Unfortunately, Renji's plan had a small flaw in it. The alley was a dead end. "Come on! Quick! Turn around! Back to the street!" he shouted. But it was too late. The enraged man was already blocking the exit, stick in his hand. He beat it softly against his other hand, obviously intimidating them before the actual beating happened. "I've got you now, you little twerps." the man said menacingly. As the red-head saw his friends backing into the corner of the alley in fear, Renji knew he was the only one who could face the man. He knew he wouldn't survive, but if anything it was to let his friends escape. Stepping in front of the man, raising his fists in a defensive stance, Renji shouted, "Come on! Bring it!" He tried to sound brave, but fear was evident, both on his face and in his voice. The man stopped for a moment, confused. He then smiled menacingly again. "You want to die, eh? Alright then, that makes my job easier!" He shouted before lunging at Renji, ready to beat him to death. It was then that he noticed he was falling.

He didn't know how he had missed it. Someone suddenly appeared in front of him and did a sliding kick, causing him to lose his balance. On his way down, he noticed someone else standing in front of him. Then, everything went black as his face was slammed into the ground.

Ichigo, being the one who had smashed the mans face into the ground, smirked. "That's what you deserve, you bully."

Standing up, Rukia nodded, then began running out of the alley before shouting at Renji and his group, "Follow me!" She disappeared into the street.

Rubbing the back of his head, Ichigo sighed, muttering, "Always in a hurry." He then turned to Renji and his group, who were, for the lack of a better word, speechless. He nodded his head and motioned with his hand for them to follow, before walking to the end of the alley.

'_O-Orange hair…? N-No way. It can't be them, can it?' _Renji thought, his jaw still practically touching the floor.

Stopping, the orange haired boy turned back, saying, "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" in a playful manner.

Recomposing himself, Renji looked away embarrassed, saying, "N-No. We're right behind you!"

Smiling, Ichigo nodded and took off, followed closely by Renji and his group.

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><p>Later that day<p>

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><p>As the group entered the hut, they noticed that it was particularly full of souls. Young souls, at that. They all looked miserable. They wanted attention, they wanted someone to call "dad" or "mom". But they had yet to find a family. That's what brought them all together here. Renji had hoped that the supplies that they had "borrowed" from the guy would be used to help these kids, but in their fear they had dropped them all. <em>'So much for that plan.' <em>Renji thought. As he looked at the two newest additions to the hut, Renji came to the realization that those two were Rukia and Ichigo. The two that were constantly on the lips of everyone in the 78th district. His idols. Zipping over to them anime style, he immediately grabbed Ichigo's hand and shook it. "I can't believe I finally got to meet you two! This is great! I never thought I'd be able to see you two in the flesh!" Ichigo smiled slightly, while Rukia had a slightly shocked look on her face.

"The pleasure is ours." Ichigo said calmly, "It's always a pleasure to meet people who think the same as us." Looking over and Rukia, he saw her nod in agreement, something he knew she would do. The time they had spent together had given them a feel for what the other thought. That was one of the many reasons their team-work was legendary.

Smiling widely, Renji handed each of them a pouch containing a candy. "Here! I'm sure you're probably hungry!"

Lifting one eyebrow curiously, Rukia asked, "What is it?"

"What? You've never had confetti?" Renji asked in disbelief. "Go on! Try it! It's extremely sweat!"

"Okay." Rukia muttered before she took a piece, and Ichigo quickly did the same. "W-Wow! It tastes great!" She exclaimed, as Ichigo nodded in agreement. Just then, everyone heard a small boy screaming, "Let go! That's mine!" As everyone looked over, they saw the younger soul was holding onto a pouch that an older soul, probably a teenager, was apparently trying to steal from it.

Frowning, Ichigo muttered to Rukia, "This might get serious." To this, Rukia nodded. Suddenly, the pouch broke open and it's contents were spilled all over the place. The young soul began crying, and the older one spoke, "What's with you? Unlike me, you don't have a shred of spirit power! So long as you have water, you won't get hungry!" Scowling, Ichigo said calmly, "You wanna go?"

Nodding, Rukia began walking towards the teenaged soul, while Ichigo took the pouch of confetti to the younger one. "Oi!" Rukia shouted, grabbing the older souls shoulder. While the soul was bigger then Rukia, Ichigo knew she'd be fine. "We don't get hungry!" She shouted, to which the soul responded, "What's with you, you newbie?" He turned around and tried to punch Rukia, but she ducked down and twirl kicked his feet from under him, causing him to slam into the ground hard. "We may not get hungry, but we can smell, and we can taste!" The crowd was shouting, cheering Rukia on. But she didn't care. "We all share the enjoyment! Don't go acting like the scumbag grownups!" She demanded. At this, the children in the hut calmed down, finally realizing what was really going on. "Got it?" Rukia asked, to which the teen nodded in affirmation.

While this was going on, Ichigo had gone over to the younger soul, and offered him the confetti. When the boy hesitated, Ichigo smiled calmly and said, "It's alright, take it!" After he had done so, Rukia started heading out the hut, and Ichigo soon followed.

Being amazed at seeing his idols in action, Renji hadn't registered that they had left the tent. When he finally did, and ran out to find them, they were no where in sight. After looking around for a bit, he suddenly heard a voice. "Hey, Renji!" He turned around to see Rukia up on a branch of a nearby tree, with Ichigo leaning up against the trunk with his arms folded.

"You need something, Renji?" Ichigo asked with a smile.

"Uh, n-no. I was just wondering where you guys went that's all." Renji said quickly.

"Oh. Well, we're right here." Ichigo responded casually.

"I-I know that!" Renji yelled with a humorous look on his face.

Laughing, Rukia said "You're a strange one!" To which Ichigo chuckled as well.

"H-Hey! I'm not the strange one! You guys are the strange ones!" Renji yelled, which only made Rukia laugh harder. "Hey! Quit laughing you guys! Come on!"

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><p>Days later<p>

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><p>The group found themselves running through the streets of Inuzuri. They had heard a rumor that one of the people of the district had managed to become a member of the shinigami. They had immediately set off to see what he was like. However, as they got closer and closer, Rukia began to feel off, something that Ichigo noticed in his friend. As she stopped to take a breather, Ichigo stopped beside her. With a concerned look, he asked her, "You okay?"<p>

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go!" She shouted, and they continued on. However, Ichigo continued to watch her. As they rounded a corner, they could tell they were at their destination. People crowded the streets, and there was a shiny, black rickshaw in front of one of the buildings. As Maru[2], Chibi[3], and Sukini[4] admired the rickshaw, Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji watched for the shinigami. They couldn't see him, but they could feel a feeling that couldn't be described. Rukia felt a pressure, and a pained feeling in her stomach. Ichigo felt a slight headache, and Renji felt a pressure. After awhile of waiting, they finally saw a door open, and someone shoed Maru, Chibi, and Sukini away, followed by a tall man in a black Shihakusho[5], and his sword in a brown sheath. Upon walking past the group, Rukia felt all her energy drift away. _'What the… What is this?' _She tried to ask Ichigo for support, but the words wouldn't come out. However, Ichigo noticed something was wrong, and was prepared to grab her when she fell.

Renji's eyes widened, and he quickly asked, "Rukia! Are you okay? Rukia?" being concerned for his new friend.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Ichigo." she said, before standing back up. However, she felt an immense pain in her stomach, and wrapped her hand around it wincing.

Ichigo, while concerned, noticed that the shinigami had walked up to them. "Are you alright?" he asked calmly. _'This feeling.'_ Ichigo thought, '_It's as though I'm being overwhelmed by pressure. As though something is squeezing me. But… I don't see anything…'_

"Yes. I'm fine." Rukia muttered, also feeling the same. Renji was speechless that the shinigami had talked to them.

"Might you be hungry?" the man asked, to which Rukia nodded in the negative.

"No, not hungry." she said.

The shinigami, however, merely smiled, bent down and opened his meal holder. "Becoming hungry in a place where one is not supposed to be hungry. At first, I too was perplexed." He said calmly. "You must not hesitate. Take this, and eat." he finished with a smile. Rukia and Renji gulped at the sight of the food, but Ichigo smiled, and said "Thanks."

Nodding, the shinigami stood up, and walked away.

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><p>Later that day<p>

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><p>The group had all gone to an alley. After the event with the shinigami, Renji had gone on and on about how amazing they were. After a short while, Ichigo issued a challenge. "How about we try and create an orb? We'll see who can make the biggest."<p>

"That sounds like fun!" Rukia said, smiling.

Renji nodded, and said confidently, "Okay! But I'm gonna win!" to which both Ichigo and Rukia laughed.

"We'll see, Renji." Ichigo said, smirking. In the alley, Renji stood in the center, trying to create an orb in his fist. Maru, Chibi, and Sukini watched. Rukia was sitting on a barrel, and Ichigo was leaning against the wall right beside her. After awhile, Renji finally managed to create a small orb. "Wow! That's amazing Renji!" Sukini shouted. Renji began laughing, thinking he was victorious. However, he heard a sound, and looked over to see Rukia with an orb twice the size of his, and Ichigo with one easily being three times the size of Rukia's. "Wow!" All Maru, Chibi, and Sukini shouted in unison. "You three should join the shinigami!

"Nah. Ichigo and I…." Rukia said, "…We'll be here forever!" Ichigo nodded in agreement, then turned to Renji.

"Right, Renji?" He asked.

"R-Right!" Renji said. After the other three let out cheers of joy, the six of them began running off to go play some random game. After Ichigo tagged Renji in the back and began running away, they all knew what game it was.

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><p><strong>Well, here's another one. I'm kinda upset, I wanted it to be a bit more descriptive, but ah well. Sorry if it seems rushed. Anyways, same as before. Read, Review! Please…. :P<strong>

**And here's the definitions!**

**Marumaru Futotta[1]: In the Bleach anime, on episode 32, you can see the characters. Marumaru is the fat one. Marumaru to Futotta is apparently the Japanese way of saying "Chubby".**

**Maru[2]: Slang for Marumaru**

**Chibi[3]: Japanese for Shorty. The short one in episode 32.**

**Sukini[4]: Skinny, the other one, with his hair over his eyes and the scar… Couldn't think of anything else.**

**Shihakusho[5]: Literally, "Garment of Dead Souls". The normal attire for shinigami.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! Glad you guys like it so far, I hope I can continue entertaining! I didn't specify in chapter 1, which I'm sorry for, but Ichigo died earlier on, around the same time Rukia, Renji, and everyone else did. Here's chapter 3! ****J P.S: This is time skipped. If you guys wanted more little Ichigo, Rukia, and gang, I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anything to put for in between. If you guys want some little people, say so in the reviews, and I'll see what I can think up for a flashback chapter.**

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><p><em>"Wow!" All Maru, Chibi, and Sukini shouted in unison. "You three should join the shinigami!<em>

_"Nah. Ichigo and I…." Rukia said, "…We'll be here forever!" Ichigo nodded in agreement, then turned to Renji._

_"Right, Renji?" He asked._

_"R-Right!" Renji said. After the other three let out cheers of joy, the six of them began running off to go play some random game. After Ichigo tagged Renji in the back and began running away, they all knew what game it was._

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><p>Nine years later<p>

Chapter 3: Trouble Finds You

"Man, it's hot." Ichigo muttered. Currently, Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia were resting under the tree. It had been nine long years. Though, for souls like them, it wasn't long, it seemed long because of what they had to go through in Inuzuri. Ichigo looked around the field that they were currently in the middle of. It was a large field, with brownish colored, overgrown grass. In the past, they couldn't see over it, but now Ichigo and Renji had no trouble. The years had been good for them both, they had both grown tall, and their bodies evened out into a nice build. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said to Rukia. The poor girl, she had only grown a few feet, though her body did fill out a little. It was a hot summer day, and many would wonder why they were out in the open like they were. But for each of the three, they knew exactly why they were out there.

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><p>*Flash-back*<p>

Earlier that day

Ichigo and Rukia were walking around part of the damaged section of Inuzuri. The district had come under attack by a massive amount of Hollow. Fortunately, the shinigami arrived before too many got hurt, but over half the district was ruined. It would take a long time to fix the damage, especially for a district as poor as the 78th. Rukia had decided that they should go see if they could find any survivors, and if they could, they should go and help recover. That's why they were there. Renji was off gathering up the other three. Removing a piece of rubble, Ichigo noticed a small child huddled up in a ball in a corner. He motioned to Rukia, before picking up the boy and laying him on a flat surface. He looked fine, and his heart was still beating. It seemed like he had merely put himself to sleep while under the rubble. As a couple volunteers took the boy away, Ichigo wiped the sweat off of his brow. He then heard Rukia shout, "Oi, Ichigo! Here comes Renji!" As Ichigo looked, sure enough, he could see the crimson red hair of their friend. However, as he got close, both Ichigo and Rukia could tell that something was wrong. The sweat on his face and the nervousness in his eyes attested to that.

"Guys, we need to head out. Marumaru and the rest are gone!" He shouted.

"What? Are you sure? Did you check the food stand?" Rukia asked. She was referring to a stand that they often met at for lunch every week.

"Yeah, the owner said he hasn't seen them. I checked around the district as well, and nobody has seen them all day!" He said, a little calmer now. "We need to go look for them!"

"Hold on." Ichigo said, halting his friend before he could get worked up again. "We don't even know where they could be yet. There's no point searching unless we have an idea as to where they might be."

"I was thinking about that." Renji said, with his hand touching the bottom of his chin. "We could each check the various areas that we hung out at. They could be at any of those."

Nodding, Rukia gave her agreement. "Alright, we'll divide the places in between us. Ichigo, you check the lake side, the alley, and the hut. Renji, you check the market, the field, and give the food stand another try. I'll ask around and see if anybody has seen anything. Whether or not you find anything, meet back here. Understood?"

"Hai!" both Ichigo and Renji shouted. After that they ran off in different directions.

*End-flashback*

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><p>Present<p>

The searching hadn't been good. Ichigo and Rukia couldn't find anything. But it was different for Renji. The market and the food stand were negative, but the field was different. Renji found three sets of tracks, and after meeting back up with Rukia and Ichigo and showing it to them, they all agreed it belonged to their friends. They had decided to follow them, and see where they led. That's how they got under the tree. After following the tracks for a couple hours, they took a well deserved break.

"Man, how could they have gone so far?" Renji wondered aloud.

"I don't know. I didn't think Marmaru could even walk that far without fainting!" Rukia exclaimed.

"You know, we don't even know if it is their tracks." Ichigo pointed out. "It could belong to any number of people. There's no way of determining who they really belong too."

"That's true. But when all three of the footprints match them, it's hard to say it doesn't belong to them." Renji said, trying to keep his hopes up. After waiting for awhile longer, they finally took off again. The tracks winded back and forth through the field, zigzagging, going one direction, then stopping and retracing back, then heading off in a different direction entirely.

"They were chasing something." Ichigo noted, after seeing another set of smaller footprints, belonging to an animal. "Those idiots. If they went this far chasing some random animal…"

"I see a hut up ahead!" Renji shouted. And as Ichigo looked up, he didn't see a hut. He saw an old, worn-down shack that looked like it would collapse at any minute. After following the tracks further, they led into the "hut" as Renji put it. It was dark inside, as there weren't any windows, but what they could see was enough to freeze each of them in their tracks. Inside the shack, they found a pool of blood. But that wasn't what made them freeze. Laying inside the pool, lay Maru, Chibi, and Sukini, each with a gash digging deep into their backs.

"N-No way… What- What happened here?" Rukia said, with a touch of shock, sadness, and fear all mixed in her voice.

"I-I don't know. What kind of animal would've done this?" Renji wondered, also with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"I think I have an idea." Ichigo muttered, also quite sad that his friends were murdered.

"What? What kind of monster would do such a thing?" Rukia shouted. It was then that her eyes widened, as realization kicked in. Monster. The gashes in their backs looked like they belonged to massive hands, with massive claws.

"What? What is it?" Renji wondered, completely clueless as to what his remaining friends were referring to.

"The attack earlier today. Sure, the shinigami did a great job. But it's always possible that one or two got away. Judging from the marks, I'd say a Hollow got them." Ichigo said, finishing with pure anger in his voice. Just then, the shack began to shake, and they barely had enough time to get out. Right as they exited the shack, it collapsed, and above it stood a massive Hollow. The monster wasn't as large as others. It's body was skinny, it's legs, arms, and neck were all below average. It had a hole right in its stomach. It didn't have a tail, but it had huge hands, with claws equal in size.

"A-A Hollow?" Renji shouted, both shocked and afraid that he was staring one of the monsters in the face.

"Yeah." Ichigo muttered, "Probably the one that killed them." He finished. Rukia just stared at the beast. It was massive. The biggest thing she had ever seen. It was way bigger then the other Hollows that attacked the district. Suddenly, the Hollow lunged at them, easily able to crush them all with one swing. They all thought it was over. Rukia closed her eyes, preparing for the death that would come.

But it never came. She opened her eyes, which widened at what she saw. Before them, the Hollow, while still standing, had a massive slash down the center of it. In front of the Hollow, there was one lone shinigami. As the Hollow collapsed and disappeared, being cleansed by the shinigami's zanpakuto[1], and the shinigami sheathed his sword and turned towards the souls. All three of them were quite shocked at what they saw. Not only had the shinigami suddenly appeared, but he took down a beast that was easily five times his size without even trying.. As Ichigo looked at the mans appearance, his eyes widened. _'That's…'_

Standing in front of them, was the same man who they had saw nine years ago. That same kind man, who had given them his meal, now stood before them, smiling as though nothing had happened. "Are you three alright?" he asked.

Nodding, Ichigo, who seemed to be the only one who could generate a proper sentence, heck, he was the only one who could generate proper thought currently, spoke "Y-Yeah, we're fine. Thanks for saving us." He finished this last line looking away. He hated having to accept help. He hated feeling as though he was useless. The fact that three of his friends were dead and buried beneath the collapsed shack and the fact that he couldn't stand up to the Hollow didn't help him much.

Smiling in understanding at how Ichigo was feeling, the man responded, "You mustn't let yourself feel useless. You were able to track down your friends, and you were able to deduce that it was a Hollow that killed them when you had little evidence. That is something to be proud of." Turning away slightly, the shinigami finished, sadly saying, "I only regret I wasn't in time to save them. We, the shinigami, knew of the Hollow, and I was sent to track it down. I arrived just as the Hollow attacked you, though I was able to hear most of your discovery of those three."

Renji, who had finally snapped out of his state of shock, muttered, "That-That was incredible…."

Rukia, however, had a different reaction. She broke down crying. To Renji, he would've expected this being as they just went through one of the most intense experiences of their lives. But Ichigo, Ichigo knew Rukia. He knew how tough she was. And to see his closest friend, someone who he had been with for a LONG time, crying like she was broke his heart. He immediately walked over to her, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The shinigami, who had watched on, spoke quietly, "If you'd like, I could help you retrieve your friends for a burial?"

"Thank you. We'd appreciate that." Ichigo said calmly.

* * *

><p>Later that evening<p>

Later, the three of them stood looking off the cliff towards seireitei[2]. After the burial, the shinigami gave his farewell and headed off to make his report. They had stood looking off towards the sunset for awhile now, remembering the time they had with Maru, Chibi, and Sukini. Finally, Rukia broke the silence. "Let's become shinigami. Let's become shinigami, and make sure something like this never happens again." To this, Renji and Ichigo both nodded in agreement. They would become shinigami, and they would pledge themselves to the protection of Soul Society. That was the pledge they made on that hilltop. That was the pledge that all three of them would risk staring death in the face in order to keep.

* * *

><p><strong>Alrighty, there's chapter 3! I decided to switch up the story a little more. As far as I could tell, in the anime and manga they never described how those three died. Renji merely said that he and Rukia had lost them during those years. So, I decided to change it, and change the reason for them becoming shinigami, as I also believe that Rukia said they became shinigami so they could live in Seireitei. Anyways, read, review, and remember to tell me if you want a "back when they were kids" arc! <strong>**J**

**Definitions:**

**Zanpakuto[1]: Seriously, I doubt you need my help on this one. But for those of you who are completely lost, Zanpakuto literally means: "Soul-Cutter Sword" and it's a shinigami's primary weapon.**

**Seireitei[2]: I always got confused with this one. I thought Seireitei was Japanese for Soul Society. It's actually just the name of the capital.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Gah! I wanted to get this done Saturday night! Didn't think I'd have so much stuff to do! As the Title of the chapter shows, this will have two parts. The reason I'm doing this in two seperate parts is because it will basically be two different things. The next part will introduce Hinamori and Izuru, and Rukia will basically be disappearing for a short time, to match with the story.**

**EternalSyzygy: You're right! The Bleach Wiki article on Soul Society lists the capital as Seireitei, but the Seireitei topic itself says that it's the "center" of Soul Society. Thanks for pointing that out!**

**Here's chapter 4!**

* * *

><p><em>"Let's become shinigami. Let's become shinigami, and make sure something like this never happens again." To this, Renji and Ichigo both nodded in agreement. They would become shinigami, and they would pledge themselves to the protection of Soul Society. That was the pledge they made on that hilltop. That was the pledge that all three of them would risk staring death in the face in order to keep.<em>

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: The Academy of the Shinigami Part 1<p>

As the new day arrived, the bright morning sun shone over the horizon. As Rukia rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she looked over and saw the sleeping form of her friend in the bunk off on the other side. He was spread out, with both his right arm and right leg hanging over the edge. After she managed to get out of her own bunk, she looked around and noticed the lack of a particular red-headed friend. _'That's right. He never came in last night. Probably fell asleep on the way back.'_ Walking over to Ichigo, she shouted "Wake up!" and kicked him in the face.

"Ow!" He yelled, already wide awake, holding his nose as some blood trickled through his hand. "Why do you wake me up like that every morning?" He asked in annoyance.

"It's our first day, we can't be late." She said quickly, and Ichigo noticed she was already dressed.

"Oh, right." he responded. After getting up, he also noticed the absence of Renji. "Huh? Where's Pineapple?" he asked.

"Who knows? We should go look for him." she said, annoyance in her voice.

"Do we have too?" Ichigo asked sarcastically, before walking into the changing room. He came out in the academy uniform that they hand after being accepted. "Alright, let's go." And they quickly left to search for their friend.

* * *

><p>Exactly 5 minutes later<p>

"Renji… I'm going to kill him." Ichigo muttered. They were still trying to find him. You'd think a guy with red hair in the shape of a pineapple would be easy to find. Apparently, that little piece of logic was wrong. After a short time of searching, Ichigo looked to Rukia and said, "Maybe we should go without him after all." Just then, they heard snoring. As they turned to look, Ichigo gave himself a face-palm, and Rukia's eyes widened in anger. "RENI!" They both shouted, which woke up the red headed man, causing him to fall out of his perch. Luckily, he was so excited the night before that he had already changed into his academy outfit.

"W-What? What was that for?" Renji shouted. In response, Rukia did a double footed flying kick to Renji's face.

"You fool! Have you already forgotten? Today is the first day of the Academy, and YOU are going to make us late!" She shouted. Ichigo stood a few feet away, with an annoyed expression on his face.

"W-Wait, what? Oh! We're going to be late!" Renji suddenly shouted, as he quickly got up and started running.

"Renji." Ichigo stated calmly, which made Renji stop.

"Huh?" He said. Ichigo looked at him, with a slightly annoyed, slightly unemotional face.

"You're going the wrong way." The orange haired man responded. After this, there was a moment of silence. This was joined by a group of crickets, who decided they wanted to chat amongst themselves at just the right moment.

"WHAT?" Renji shouted, and Ichigo pointed towards Seireitei.

"It's that way. I can't believe you actually forgot already." he said.

"Oh, then let's go!" Renji said, before taking off again.

"I can't believe him sometimes." Ichigo said, before taking off after Renji, followed by an annoyed Rukia.

* * *

><p>Later<p>

As the three ran through the various districts heading towards Seireitei, Rukia and Renji continued bickering, while Ichigo stayed towards the back, honestly wondering why they even bothered to look for Renji in the first place. Finally, they reached the gates of the Shino Academy. But, Rukia and Renji were still fighting, even though they had stopped. "I can't believe you think it's my fault!" Renji yelled, to which Rukia responded,

"Of course it's your fault. We had to search all over Inuzuri just to find you. And once we did, you were sleeping in a tree!"

Ichigo, with an annoyed look, yelled over them. "Guys!" This, luckily for him, got their attention. "We're here, in case you hadn't noticed."

Upon looking behind them, they found that he was correct. "Oh." Rukia muttered, to which Ichigo let out a dramatic sigh. "Welcome, new students!" Was heard, as they entered the main area. It then went on to explain the tradition, what classes there are, and so on.

"Wow. This place is packed!" Renji said, to which Ichigo nodded. Rukia was feeling rather tiny at the moment, a fact that she was thankful for, as Ichigo's orange hair and Renji's red hair were sure to gather attention. Suddenly, a door opened, and a group of three men walked out.

"Alright, everyone settle down and line up. We're going to go through the routines!" Suddenly, everyone started moving, and, though it took some time, everyone was soon in an organized line. Thankfully, it wasn't a long wait. The line moved forward every three seconds, much to Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia's surprise. Finally, they knew why. Instead of the three men in the front of the line going into a detailed description of what the schedule was, they simply handed out a booklet. After that, everyone was left to go through the booklet on their own.

Inside the booklet, there was a map of the academy, the schedule, and a small calendar. The schedule detailed the events, gave a number indicating a location on the map, and a timeline. Wake up was at 6 A.M, followed by morning stretches. Breakfast, which included a large variety of foods, was at 7. Then there was history, Kido[1], Hakuda[2], Hoho[3], and Zanjutsu[4] classes, which went from 8 A.M, lunch at 12, and ending at 2 P.M. Then there was Zanpakuto class, a class on proper knowledge of Shinigami's primary duties, and others, going from 3 P.M to 6 P.M. Dinner is served at 7 P.M., and from then until 11 P.M the students were free to do as they wished. At 11 P.M all students were to turn in. This schedule would be on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Thursdays there would be a special event, so all classes were dismissed. Saturdays were review, test, and practice days, and Sundays were off completely.[note]

Closing the booklet, Ichigo let out a sigh. "Well, we made it." he said

Rukia, who, along with Renji, had been reading beside Ichigo, nodded, and let out a slight "Yeah." Renji just nodded.

There was only one class this day, and that was an assignment class. It was too decide who made it to the advanced class and who didn't. During the class, despite Renji making a fool out of himself, he was able to make it into the advanced class, though just barely. Ichigo made it as well, as he had a perfect score, something that hadn't been seen in a long time. Rukia, however, wasn't able to make it. She didn't fail the test. In fact, she had a rather high score. But it wasn't enough to make it to the advanced class.

Renji was proud that he had made it to the advanced class. Perhaps he was too proud, as he failed to notice Rukia sulking later that night.

"I can't believe it! I can't believe I actually made it into the advanced class!" He shouted.

Rukia, who had been trying to sleep for a little while, shouted back, "Would you shut up? People are trying to sleep here!"

"Hey! You can't talk to me like that. I'm in a class above you now." Renji joked, smirking.

At this, Rukia instantly went back to sulking, something Renji once again failed to notice. Ichigo, however, wasn't prideful of his grade. He didn't care. He saw how Rukia felt. Walking over beside her bunk and kneeling down, Ichigo whispered, "You gonna' be alright?"

Rukia smiled, and responded softly, "You fool. You don't need to worry about me."

Smirking, Ichigo said back, "If I want to worry, then I'm going to worry. Deal with it, midget."

Frowning, Rukia shot back, "Whatever, Strawberry."

Smiling now, Ichigo stood up, and walked over to a laughing Renji. Renji was laughing so hard, he failed to notice Ichigo's approach.

"Shuddap." Ichigo demanded, as he punched Renji in the back of the top of his head, causing him to fall down.

"H-Hey! Ichigo! What was that for?" Renji shouted, nursing the small bump that had generated on the top of his head.

"For being annoying." Ichigo responded with an annoyed look, "Rukia's trying to sleep."

Finally, Renji quieted down, mostly due to the killer intent that Ichigo was generating. As Ichigo laid down on his bunk to go to sleep, Renji couldn't help but wonder, _'Why do I always get picked on?'_

* * *

><p><strong>And there's chapter 4! As I said, I had lots of stuff keeping me from updating this. It was starting to get REALLY annoying. By the way, I'm sorry if Ichigo ends up being a bit OOC. In my opinion, the process of being an actual shinigami would change him drastically, possibly to the point of him being two separate people. That's just my opinion. Anyways, review, and I'll have the next one up as soon as I can! :D<strong>

**Definitions:**

**Kido[1]: Several definitions: "demon way", "spirit way", "spells", or, in the case that it most likely means in this sense, "Soul Reaper's Powers"**

**Hakuda[2]: "Hand-to-Hand Combat"**

**Hoho[3]: "Fast movement"**

**Zanjutsu[4]: Art of the Sword**

**Updated definition: Seireitei: The center of all of Soul Society. This is the base of operations for the Gotei 13 and the Central 46. It is also the location of many upper class nobles, such as the Kuchiki family and the Kasumi-Ouji family.**

**NOTE: The timeline for the schedule of the academy is based off of the American calendar. I have no idea what the Japanese calendar looks like, so I decided to just copy the American calendar instead.**

**UPDATE: Thanks for EternalSyzygy for pointing this out. I had planned on using Tuesday for something, but I guess I forgot to type it up. I've now completely forgotten what I was going to use it for. Tuesday has been added to schedule.**


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG! ****I can't believe it took me this long to get a chance to type something up. Works been hectic lately. Ah well. Here is chapter… Uh… What was it again? Oh yeah! Here's chapter 5!**

**EternalSyzygy: Thanks for pointing that one out too! For those who didn't notice, I've added Tuesday. I still can't remember what I was going to use it for…**

**Everybody else: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you guys like it! :D**

**Here we go!**

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><p><em>"Shuddap." Ichigo demanded, as he punched Renji in the back of the top of his head, causing him to fall down.<em>

_"H-Hey! Ichigo! What was that for?" Renji shouted, nursing the small bump that had generated on the top of his head._

_"For being annoying." Ichigo responded with an annoyed look, "Rukia's trying to sleep."_

_Finally, Renji quieted down, mostly due to the killer intent that Ichigo was generating. As Ichigo laid down on his bunk to go to sleep, Renji couldn't help but wonder, 'Why do I always get picked on?'_

* * *

><p>The next day<p>

Chapter 5: The Academy of the Shinigami Part 2, The Blond Noble, The Friend of an Unknown Prodigy

As the clouds moved through the comforting blue sky, not a sound was heard. In front of a stone, a memorial, there stood a man in an academy uniform. He had blondish hair, and he held himself strait, giving himself the appearance of a noble. That was good, as he was a noble. He held his head down, and his hands were held together, as though he were praying. Not a sound was heard. Kira Izuru smiled slightly. This moment would be the last in a long while that he would be able to spend with his deceased parents. It was perfect. No sound, nobody around, even the bugs in the earth seemed to be keeping their distance in respect. Just him, and his memories. Well, that's what he thought.

"Renji." a male voice said calmly, making Kira jump a bit. He hadn't heard anyone approach, but there behind him was a tall man with orange hair in a shaggy mess, and a much shorter woman with black hair. For a moment, he thought they were talking to him, mistaking him for someone else. Well, that definitely wasn't true. Suddenly behind him, he heard a loud "THUMP". Turning around, he saw a red haired man collapsed, likely fallen out from a tree.

"Oh, uh… Ah… Hi?" He said, confused.

Bowing slightly, the dark haired woman apologized with a "Sorry for the intrusion." and quickly ran over and began scolding Renji. "You just have to sleep in a tree, don't you? You could've picked the same one, and prevented us from having to rush again!" she shouted.

Seeing that Kira was confused, Ichigo approached and said. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Our friend here is a bit of an idiot."

"Hey!" was heard in the background.

"Anyways. Judging by your uniform, you're one of the students, aren't you?" Ichigo asked.

"Uh, yes. My name is Kira, Kira Izuru." he introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Nodding, not bothering to shake the mans hand, Ichigo responded. "Ichigo Kurosaki. The short one is Rukia, and the dummy on the ground is Renji Abarai."

"Oi! I'm right here you know!" Renji shouted.

This was quickly followed by Rukia, shouting "What do you mean SHORT?"

"Right." Ichigo muttered, looking at the ground and running a hand through his hair. "We better get going. We're going to be late."

"Gah! Renji! Why do you ALWAYS sleep in a tree?" Rukia shouted, running off in the direction of the academy, followed by Ichigo.

Renji, who was still struggling to get up, shouted after them. "Hey! You could've at least helped me up ya' know!" And he quickly left after them. This just left Kira, who was still trying to figure out what just happened.

A very short time later

"Looks like we made it in time. See ya', Rukia! Come on, Renji." Ichigo spoke.

Frowning softly, Rukia nodded, and proceeded onto the regular class, while Renji and Ichigo headed towards the Advanced class room.

After going through the regular introductions, both classes began going into their schedules. Not much is to be mentioned of the regular classes, as they are much like a normal school, if you added Kido, and all the other training to the P.E. time. Advanced class is more note worthy. The advanced students get several privileges, such as missions to the human world, increased training, advanced Kido spells, and the like. After a few days had gone by, learning and such, their first assignment was given. Kido training, they had to hit a target across a field that was half a football field in length. The Kido spell that they were to use was Hado[1] #31:Shakkaho[2]. They got into lines of three, Kira and Ichigo being in the second, and Renji being in the third. The first line was called up, though nothing particularly impressive happened, aside for one student, a short girl, hitting the target almost dead on. After that, the second line was called up. As they stepped up, Ichigo held out his hands and began the incantation.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the face of man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado No.31: Shakkaho!" was heard from all across the line, as it was apart of the rules that you must say the incantation. Though it was heard, Ichigo's incantation was incredibly lower voiced then the others, being barely heard by the instructors. Kira's shot went right to the target and blasted it to smithereens, and the rest missed. Well, most of them missed. Ichigo had fired a second later on accident, but when it fired, it blasted strait through the target and blasted a large hole in the wall behind it. Several people were startled by this, though several cheers were also heard. In the short time, Ichigo had developed a bit of a fan base, though he acted like he was any other student. The attention was too much of a hassle for him. As they returned to the waiting formation, Renji was awed.

'I-I knew Ichigo was good, but that's a bit ridiculous. That Kira guy too… Looks like there's quite a bit of competition.'

he thought, as the third line stepped into formation. _'Well, I can't let them take all the glory!'_

As the line prepared to fire, Renji skipped the incantation, thinking he didn't need it. Much to his embarrassment, and the crowds surprise, his spell exploded, sending debris and smoke everywhere. While everyone ducked for cover, Ichigo sat motionless in his spot, eyebrows twitching slightly. _'Just as I said… Renji, you are a complete idiot.'_ he thought.

"Abarai, stay after class for more practice." The teacher commanded.

"H-Hai." Renji said, rather weakly.

Later on, there was sword practice. After a while of name calling and small matches taking place, Ichigo's name was finally called. As he grabbed on of the wooden training swords, he stepped onto the arena and observed his opponent. Much to his surprise, it was a girl. "You've got to be kidding." he muttered to himself, and Renji burst out laughing. However, Ichigo noticed that it was the same girl who had hit the target in the first line during the Kido training. He had heard the instructor call her name, Momo Hinamori. He noticed she was gripping the wooden sword rather tightly, and stood in a nervous manner. "Uh, you okay?" he asked, to which she nodded. The instructor shouted to begin, and Hinamori charged at Ichigo, gripping the swords with both hands.

Scowling and holding the sword in a diagonal way, so that he could block either a side or up/down attack, he waited for her to get close, before slashing horizontally, swiping the sword out of her hand without touching her at all. As her eyes widened in surprise, Ichigo held his sword so the tip was just barely touching her stomach. The crowd had gone silent, and the instructor had blinked a couple times in surprise. Ichigo had done well in the Kido training, and he had been excelling at all the other classes, and now he had just disarmed an opponent without even touching her. Sure there was the size difference, but even then one would expect that in order to disarm any opponent, it would take a strike at the hands. But he had just slashed the sword away. It was either she was weak, or they were all looking at a prodigy. "End!"

Hinamori, who had fallen down in her surprise, looked up to see Ichigo holding out his hand, smiling slightly. "Sorry about that." he said, as she used his hand to support her while she got up.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I'm fine!" she said respectfully, before rushing back into the crowd, slightly embarrassed. Shrugging, Ichigo returned to his spot in the crowd

Just as he thought, Renji was there waiting for him. "Man! I'm sooo gonna tell Rukia this! You soo got lucky on this. I bet if it was me, you would lose for sure!"

Smiling menacingly, and looking at Renji, Ichigo responded. "Really? I think I'll take you up on that offer some day."

"Renji Abarai! Kira Izuru!" The instructor shouted next.

As Renji grabbed a sword and stood out on the arena, he saw that Kira had already done the same. Ichigo sat, watching, and as he was watching, he wondered what exactly this Kira was capable of. He had seen him do well in Kido, and he had also been doing well in all the other classes, being at 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in the class rankings every time. Ichigo had been in 1st every time, of course, but still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. He only hoped Renji was able to do the same. "Go!" the instructor shouted, and soon Renji was swiping at Kira at a rapid pace. Soon, he had stabbed Kira, sending the noble flying a few feet back.

As the crowd rushed to the assistance of Kira, Ichigo face-palmed, and muttered. "Who am I kidding? Renji's so hot headed he could probably nullify any tactical or strategic advantage his opponent would get just by rushing them."

Scowling, Renji left, being as classes were over for the day. Ichigo stood and followed, having nothing better to do. After a while of walking and chatting, they had finally decided to take a break under a particularly shady tree. After a very short while, Kira had joined them under the tree. After apologizing and giving his reasons as to why he had pushed so hard to beat Kira, Renji had said "By the way, what's your name again?"

"Ah." Kira muttered, and Ichigo gave himself a face-palm. (I love those things. They're so humorous.) Holding out his hand, Kira re-introduced himself. "I'm Kira Izuru." Renji looked at his hand, responding. "Proper introduction followed by a handshake, must be a noble." Smirking, Renji continued, "You won't find the same with us 78th people. I'm Renji."

Smiling and nodding, Kira said. "I see, so that's why Kurosaki didn't shake my hand. You're both from the same districts?"

Slightly nodding, Ichigo responded. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not much for handshakes and stuff like that."

"I understand." Kira responded. Looking at the clouds which were now darkening and folding together, Ichigo wondered if the beautiful day would turn into a storm. As the clouds joined more and more together, they got darker, and Ichigo's assumption was confirmed, as drops started falling. Noting that he would rather stay dry then go out in the rain, he bed his goodbyes and headed towards his room. In all honesty, it wasn't that he didn't like getting wet. Ever sense he could remember, he had hated the rain. He didn't know why. For some reason, whenever he tried to think about it, his brain would hurt terribly. He did know, however, one thing that was for curtain. Whatever it was that he hated about rain, it had to do with the time before he died. It had to do with something that happened when he was still alive.

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><p><strong>Yay! I finally get to post something. :P Again, sorry it took me so long to post. Work has been getting busier and busier lately. Well, I suppose that's a good thing, right? Ah well. Looking forward to the reviews!<strong>

**Definitions:**

**Hado[1]: Way of Destruction**

**Shakkaho[2]: "Red Fire Cannon"**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay! I got to get it done much faster then the last time… :D I don't know… That just made me really happy for some reason.**

**Manga reader 125: That made me really happy. :D Thanks!**

**I'm glad you guys like it so far. I hope I can keep entertaining! Here's chapter 6!**

**Chapter 6: The Academy Arc: Meeting a Captain**

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><p>*Dream realm*<p>

_He was running. He didn't know why. He was scared. He didn't know what of. All he knew was that he had to get away from there. He had to escape. It didn't matter what. It didn't matter who. All he knew was that he wanted as far away from whatever it was as possible. He couldn't see. Everything was black. His eyes widened as, in front of him, a silhouette appeared. The silhouette was wearing a white haori, and it's eyes were square, and red in color. Six wing like things stuck out from its back, and it was holding a katana. Suddenly, it charged. But, right when it was about to reach him, the dream ended._

*End*

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><p>Ichigo sat up, gasping for air. His eyes were widened with fear. Well, fear isn't exactly the correct word. Fear was something he was used too. No, this was more like a great terror then a simple fear. He didn't think he had ever been so afraid in his life. <em>'I'm fine. It was just a dream. It was just a simple dream.'<em> he thought to himself, desperately trying to convince himself that everything was fine. He lifted his hand and wiped the sweat from his fore-head. He was panting. He looked around the small room that the Academy had provided him, simply to convince himself that everything was normal. The room had a small bed, which he was now on, a light hanging from the ceiling, and a small desk on the opposite side of the room. The rooms walls were white, with light brown hardwood floor. There was a window on the opposite side of the room as the door. The room was square. Looking out of the window, Ichigo noted that the sun had not yet risen. However, he didn't believe he would be able to sleep again tonight. Not with that nightmare still hanging in his head. So, he resolved to simply lie there 'till it was time for the classes.

* * *

><p>*Several hours later*<p>

"'Mornin', Ichigo!" Renji called, seeing his friend leaving the his room.

Turning to see Renji running up to him, Ichigo nodded a greeting. Suddenly, they both turned to see Izuru running up to them, waving frantically. "Good morning! Did you hear the news?" He called.

Ichigo and Renji glanced at each other, before Ichigo responded. "No. Did something happen?"

Shaking his head, Izuru answered, "No. But apparently one of the Captains from the Gotei 13 and their Lieutenant are visiting the Academy!"

Needless to say, this surprised both of them. A Captain was the 3rd highest ranking person in Soul Society, only topped by the Captain-Commander and the Central 46. For one to check up on the Academy now and then wasn't unheard of, but it was extremely rare, to say the least. "When are they arriving?" Renji asked, quite excited that he was able to see a Captain so soon, even though they had joined the Academy only a couple months ago.

"They will be arriving within the hour. We're told to be as presentable as possible." Izuru responded. This made sense. The Captain wasn't there to make idle chit-chat with the students. He was there to inspect the Academy. The head-masters of the Academy obviously wanted to leave a good impression, living up to the reputation that it had developed over the centuries. Ichigo figured that all the students should feel honored that a Captain would waist his or her time to make sure they were receiving a proper education. Then again, it really wasn't a waist of time. These students would probably end up being the next group of Shinigami to join the ranks of the Gotei 13. They didn't want a bunch of people who had no clue how to wield a sword or use Kido ruining everything for them.

"We better get ready then. Don't want to upset the teachers anymore then they already are with you, eh Renji?" Ichigo said, tauntingly.

Renji began fuming at this. He was doing fairly well, but he had on more then one occasion upset the teachers in various ways. One time, for example, he lit the teachers hair on fire during Kido practice. Needless to say, he was punished severely, and the incident was put on his permanent record. Renji knew it was all in good fun, but Ichigo just never let it go. Unfortunately, Renji was unable to come up with a good comeback before Ichigo ran off. Izuru had also walked off, not wanting to get caught up in the feud between the two souls with the strange hair colors. Renji, who now had no one to yell at, stormed off to the entrance area of the Academy, where the Captain and the Lieutenant would be arriving shortly.

* * *

><p>*Several minutes later*<p>

When Ichigo, Renji, and Izuru arrived at the main area, they found that a rather large crowd had already gathered. Ichigo figured this would happen. As was said earlier, Captains are high on Soul Societies food chain. Any word about them would create quite a bit of buzz anywhere it was heard. As they approached the crowd, Izuru noticed Hinamori standing at the back of the crowd, trying to find out what was going on. Suddenly, the crowd began to move, and Hinamori was forced to the front. Renji, Izuru, and Ichigo, being rather tall, didn't need to worry about not being able to see. After a few minutes of waiting, the main gates finally opened slowly, and when they had fully opened, there stood in the center of the archway two men. One wore a white Haori, had brown, shaggy hair, and square glasses and had a kind demeanor. The other wore a simple Shinigami outfit, the only difference being the Lieutenant insignia that was wrapped to his arm. The two men walked through the crowd, which had separated into two separate groups. Everyone tried to show good posture and a confident stance, but they all couldn't help but be awed at the two men. Both of them walked with clear power, a power that nobody in the crowd had ever felt before. Ichigo, however, couldn't help but scowl. The glasses and haori seemed familiar to him, though he couldn't remember where from. There was also the feeling he was getting from the Captain. He couldn't tell what, but something just seemed… Off… About him. After the Captain and Lieutenant entered the main hall of the Academy, the doors closing behind them, the crowds began to disperse. Today was a Thursday, and there was a rumor that it would be the first day the first year students would go to the real world.

* * *

><p>*One hour later*<p>

As it turned out, these rumors were correct. The Advance Class students would be sent to the real world as a practice run, to get them used to the various jobs of a Shinigami in the real world. For now, they would simply be going "Hollow" hunting. As the students were getting ready, Ichigo, Renji, and Izuru met Rukia in the main hall.

"What? You get to go to the real world? That's unfair!" Rukia shouted at the boasting Renji. Ichigo stood back, one hand holding the strap of his bag, while the other was in his pocket (I don't know if they had pockets, but I'm going with that they did.) Izuru stood back as well.

"That's right! One of the benefits of being in the Advanced Class!" Renji boasted, finishing with a laugh.

"You idiot. The only reason you're still in the Advanced Class is because I vouched for you." Ichigo joked.

Smirking, Rukia also taunted Renji, saying, "That's right! I heard about what happened! It was really sweet of you to try and cut the instructors hair, but next time, stick to something you're good at."

"Hey! It was an accident. And who told you about it anyway?" Renji demanded.

"One guess." Ichigo said from behind.

"Ichigo. I'm going to kill you one day." Renji threatened. Izuru began laughing lightly.

"Okay! Okay! We're going to miss the trip if we stay here any longer." he pointed out.

Nodding, Ichigo began walking to the roof of the Academy, where the Senkaimon gate would be opened. Renji, who was smiling, called back to Rukia as he was walking away. "See ya' when I'm light years ahead of you!"

Pouting, Rukia muttered. "You fool. I'll show you who's stronger."

* * *

><p>*Minutes later*<p>

"We'll start off with simple introductions." a man said. There were three people standing in front of the Senkaimon Gate. The one standing in the front continued, "I'm sixth year student, Hisagi Shuuhei."

Next, the girl on his left spoke, "I am Kanisawa"

The large man on his right then said, "Aoga" simply.

Hisagi then continued, "The three of us shall be your guides."

Several mutterings were heard throughout the crowd, and they were all pointed at one person in particular. Renji failed to notice this, however. "Uh, are those people famous?" he asked, confused.

Ichigo face-palmed, and Izuru hesitated a moment in surprise before responding. "No, not 'those'. The one in the middle. Hisagi Shuuhei."

Ichigo continued, "Yeah. He's the first in years to receive an assignment before graduating. They also say he's almost certain to become a ranked member of the Gotei 13."

"By the way," Kira continued (I've been calling him Izuru for some unapparent reason.) "he's failed twice on the entrance exam. In that sense my talent might be greater as I graduated second in the class."

"Oh? You haven't forgotten who came in first, have you?" Ichigo asked, jokingly.

"We'll pass out cards to every individual. There will be teams of three, with three people having the same design on their card. Find the people with the matching design in the group." Kanisawa explained.

Looking at his card, Ichigo muttered "Looks like I better go hunting, then. Later guys."

After he left, Renji and Kira looked around for a short while. They had noticed they were on the same team, but had yet to find their third team member. Well, that was until the third team member found them. "Um… Hi." said a sheepish voice from behind. Turning, they saw that it was Hinamori.

"Hinamori! Hi!" Kira responded.

"So I guess you're on our team, huh?" Renji asked, though he already knew the answer.

"That's right. I look forward to working with you!" Hinamori said excitedly.

Meanwhile, Ichigo had already found his team-members. And, what do you know? They were both fan girls. _'Maybe I should've gotten low grades on purpose'_ Ichigo thought, as the two were practically suffocating him with questions.

"Alright! Now that we're all in groups, we'll open the Gate and head to the real world. We will not be fighting real Hollows, and there is another team that has set up a protective barrier around the training zone. Do not, under any circumstance, leave the protective zone. Follow!" Hisagi shouted, opening the gate and stepping through. He was quickly followed by the other two sixth years, and the rest of the students. Upon arriving, Ichigo could feel the Reiatsu of the sixth year students, and that he could feel the barrier that they had created. "Listen up! Each group will be assigned one dummy Hollow. We will not be assisting in the fighting, so don't expect help if it starts to get away from you. You will need to track it down. I will repeat what I said earlier. You are not to leave the protective zone. If the dummy Hollow leaves the protective zone, you are to leave it and return to the main group. Understood?" Not waiting for a response, Hisagi continued, "Alright. Begin!" After this, several dummy Hollows appeared, and began running off in different directions. Each group then chased after their own Hollow. They all looked the same, so it lacked a sense of realism. But, it got the point across. It wasn't a lesson on how to deal with Hollows, it was a lesson of team work. The task was, "Learn how to work with others in order to achieve the objective" the objective in this case being to destroy the Hollow.

As everyone moved on tracking the Hollows, Ichigo and his two "team-members" managed to trap the Hollow on a nearby building. Ichigo stood in front of the Hollow, while the two others stood off on its sides. Suddenly, the two girls rushed the dummy Hollow, attempting to take it down quickly. Unfortunately for them, they missed the Hollow as it jumped above them, and they whacked each other on the head, effectively knocking themselves unconscious.

"Figures." Ichigo muttered, before swiping his blade across the Hollow, which had just landed beside him, cutting it in two. He then walked over to the other two, picked one up and held her over his shoulder, and picked the other and held her by his side. "Good thing they're small. It would have been difficult if they weren't." he muttered. He then made his way back to the main area. When he got there, he found that almost everybody had already gotten back. He put the two down with their friends, and went off to find Kira and Renji. When he finally found them, he saw Hinamori as well.

"Ichigo! You're late!" Renji shouted, to which Ichigo frowned.

"Well, I *did* have to do everything myself. Those other two knocked themselves out trying to take the thing out." he muttered in response. "I take it you had no trouble, then?" he asked.

"It almost got away, but we were able to pin it down before it got out." Kira responded.

"Oh? Renji. You almost let it get away? I'm surprised." Ichigo joked.

"H-Hey! It wasn't my fault! The thing was moving way to fast!" Renji shouted.

Suddenly, however, they were interrupted when they heard a scream. Everyone turned to see a gigantic Hollow, with its spear like hands ripping right through Kanisawa. Everyone started running away. Well, almost everyone. Hinamori had stayed behind, and she was wondering why everybody was running. "Hinamori!" Kira shouted, but instead of turning to run with them like he was expecting, she charged at the Hollow, which had just killed the Aoga and wounded Hisagi. Renji and Kira rushed to her aid, and the three of them blocked the large claws of the monster. Ichigo, who had charged up a Kido spell, jumped on its arm, leaped again getting close to its mask, and blasted it with a Hado #31: Shakkaho. The explosion sent the beast flying, but it quickly got up. But as it was getting up, Ichigo, Kira, Hinamori, Renji and Hisagi had managed to escape down a nearby alley.

As they were running, Ichigo asked Hisagi, "How did it get past the barrier?"

Hisagi answered, "I'm not sure. I had heard rumors of Hollow that could hide their Reiatsu, but I've never seen one before."

As they exited the alley and made their way towards a dock, they were forced to a stop when the air around them began to become disorientated. "What's going on? The air is…" Renji wondered, but before he could finish, several Hollows equal in size to the first appeared.

"N-No way. This many Huge Hollows at once? I've never heard of anything like this before!" Hisagi exclaimed.

"This can't be." Renji muttered.

Hinamori was silent, and so was Ichigo who was trying to think of a way out of this mess. Kira was rambling on about how he didn't want to die, and so forth.

Finally, one of the Hollow opened its mouth, showing a bluish light that was in it. The five of them knew what it was. It was an attack that they studied. Few Hollows of this level could do it, but it had been seen before. A Cero. Though it wasn't as powerful as one fired by a Menos Grande, it was powerful enough to kill. Kira screamed, and they all braced themselves for a direct hit. However, right before it fired, a light blasted right through the side of its head.

"We've come to assist." a voice said, and everybody turned to see where it came from. All of their eyes widened, and Hisagi muttered, "You gentlemen are…"

He did not need to finish the sentence. Before them stood the Captain and Lieutenant who had arrived at the Academy earlier that day. The Lieutenant spoke, "My, my. There certainly are a lot of them." His smile increasing, he commanded in a calm voice, "**Shoot to Kill, Shinso!**" Suddenly, his small blade became as white as the sun, and extended, blasting through several of the Hollow at once. The remaining Hollow attempted to attack the Captain, but he simply stopped its attack with his hand, blasting it with Reiatsu, effectively killing it. Smiling and turning back towards the five students, he put a hand on Hinamori's head, and said in a calming voice, "You must have been scared. You did well." All three of them were awestruck by the simple power of the two. However, while being amazed at what he had witnessed, Ichigo couldn't shake the feeling of danger. He could tell that something was off about the man in front of them, but he couldn't tell what. Putting those thoughts aside, he, along with the others, returned to the Academy.

* * *

><p>*Later*<p>

"That was amazing!" Hinamori shouted. "When we graduate, I'm going to join Captain Aizen's squad!"

Smiling, Kira added, "Maybe we'll be Captains and Lieutenants one day."

Smirking, Renji commented, "No way. Those guys are monsters! There's no way we'll ever be that good."

Ichigo, who hadn't said a word sense they got back, finally spoke, "Maybe. You can never tell what'll happen. Though I think the real question should be 'will we live long enough to become Captains or Lieutenants'."

"Oh come on! Quit being so negative!" Hinamori complained.

Little did any of them know, they would be playing a big role in the future. None of them even expected that they would become legends.

* * *

><p><strong>There it is! I was upset. I started typing yesterday but wasn't able to finish. *Sad face* I've stopped doing the definition thingy. It got tiring looking up everything and typing it down. Ah well. Be sure to review and tell me what you think!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys an' girls, ('cause I don't know what you are. You could be an alien, for all we know. :O)! I am REALLY sorry for the late update. Things were ****just getting completely hectic, and when I finally had the chance, I found that I had lost my muse for it. But, it's back now, so I can get back to work! :D Hopefully chapters will be uploaded quicker, but I can't make any guarantees. Oh, and to any of you who are also a "Naruto" fan, I'm thinking about making a Naruto story, not all that different from what I'm doing with this one. Nothing definite yet, but I'll keep you updated.**

**VizordEspada Ichigo Shirosaki: Mah gawsh, you have a long name. :P I agree that the longer the chapter is, the more addictive it would be. And I was already intending to try and make the chapters longer. But, with the chapters that I'm doing right now, there is too little "solid" information that I can use. I'm hesitant to make anything up, because that might effect something else in the future, which, if it ends up diverting from the main story line, would just get a bit too overwhelming for me. However, again, I do intend to make the chapters longer as I go along.**

**Too be completely honest, I'm actually coming here from something called an RPing site, which I'm sure is something that some, if not most, of you are familiar with. As such, while I'm able to make a quick brainstorm to fill in a small gap (like I did in an earlier chapter), I'm still unable to do a larger brainstorm, ending with an entire chapter of my own imagination. I know I'll get better as I go along, but until then, I can only do so much. But enough of that... Thank you for all the good reviews you all have given the story! I will try my best to continue improving! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Born a Shinigami: Academy Arc: Chapter 7: Meetings With Partners<strong>

Ichigo woke up rather suddenly to the feel of the warm rays from the sun shining through his window. The sun was rising rather quickly, normal for this time of year, over the horizon on a beautiful Thursday morning. Blinking twice, Ichigo rubbed his tired eyes, hoping that perhaps a shell would drop from them, allowing them to open completely. Of course, it didn't work, and Ichigo was stuck sitting on his bed with his eyes half closed. The events of these past days were still fresh in his mind. Well, to be more specific, the events that happened in the real world were what he was remembering. He had been scared, they all had. Who wouldn't? Being surrounded by monsters easily capable to squashing you like a bug was enough to scare anyone. They had been saved by the Captain and his Lieutenant, likely in the nick of time. They were amazed at their power. Admiration, respect, and simple awe struck each of them. That was months ago. _'Why...?'_ Ichigo thought, _'Why, after all this time, do I still feel like there was something wrong?'_ Sighing lightly, Ichigo stood and started getting ready for his day. After he had gotten into his Academy uniform, his attention was drawn to something that was under his door. Ichigo walked over, picked it up, and placed it on his desk. It was a note, from the head of the teaching division. Opening it, Ichigo read the letter, which went like this:

"[Kurosaki Ichigo], you and the selected Advanced Class students are to report

to your class at exactly 1:00 pm. We have, after careful consideration and

investigation of you and your fellow classmates overall performance at this Academy,

have selected you to be one of the first students of your year to receive your Zanpakuto.

Chief Instructor of the Advanced Class,

Gengoro Onabara"

Placing the letter down, Ichigo almost couldn't believe what he had read. He had often thought about what his Zanpakuto would be, what power it would possess. And now, finally, after five months in the Academy, Ichigo would have the answers. Looking at the clock on his desk, Ichigo saw it was only 7:30 am. _'No point getting worked up about it. That'll just make the wait longer.'_ Sighing to relieve some of the tension, Ichigo looked over at a list on his desk. It was just a simple note list of things that could be done when there was nothing else to do. Considering that he didn't have any classes today, it didn't hurt to see if there was anything to do. Looking from the top of the list down, Ichigo slightly disappointed. Well, actually he was very disappointed. Everything on the list could only be done later in the day. Luckily for Ichigo, his stomach growled. Breakfast, now there was something that he could do. Leaving his room and heading to the cafeteria, Ichigo was surprised to see Rukia walking down the hallway. They had spoken off and on, but because of the busy schedule, it was often short conversations. Ichigo, while happy to see her, didn't fail to notice the look on her face. She was upset about something

"Good morning, Rukia!" He shouted at her.

She had been looking at the ground, and when she heard his voice, she quickly looked up, honestly surprised to see him. He wasn't one to wake up this early.

"Ichigo? Good morning!" she called back.

Walking up beside her, Ichigo asked, "Something bothering you? You look upset."

Flinching slightly, as she had hoped he hadn't noticed, she stared up at him for a moment, before responding. "U-uh. Well, you see. Uh. I've been... Offered... The opportunity to join the Kuchiki clan and..." she trailed off.

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise. The Kuchiki clan, one of the most respectable and important clans in all of Seireitei, had invited Rukia to join the clan? That was definitely unexpected. "Apparently, I greatly resemble the current heads deceased wife, and so he wants to adopt me as his sister. I will also be immediately graduated, and be put into a squad immediately."

"Really? And what do you think about it?" Ichigo asked, honestly.

"Well... I want to take it, but... I don't know. It would mean I probably would be able to see you guys less. Both you, and Renji." she responded, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Raising an eye-brow, Ichigo asked, "Have you spoken to Renji about it?"

"Yeah. He said I should go for it." Rukia answered, as a tear finally broke free. She honestly wanted to accept. It was probably one of the best things that ever happened to her, other then meeting Ichigo and Renji.

Smiling comfortingly, Ichigo put his hands on her shoulders and whispered into her ear. "Rukia. If you want to accept the offer, then accept it. Don't worry about Renji or I. We'll be in a Squad before you know it. And, remember, we'll always be there for you, no matter what happens. You understand me?"

Finally, Rukia let herself smile, and wiped away the tears. As Ichigo stood up, Rukia quickly wrapped her arms around him. Sure, she was only at his upper stomach, but she didn't care. Though he was shocked for a moment, Ichigo returned the hug. He heard Rukia whisper, "Thank you, Strawberry." before she broke the hug and started running off, down the hall.

Smiling sadly, Ichigo spoke just loud enough for her to hear him. "No sweat, midget." He then continued walking down the hall, towards the cafeteria. When he got there, he saw Kira, Hinamori, and Renji sitting in the far corner. After grabbing his meal, which consisted of eggs, toast, and a piece of fruit**[NOTE]**, Ichigo sat down with them.

"Hey there, Ichigo." Kira said. Ichigo nodded a response, and sat down. He could hear the sadness in Kira's voice. While he didn't know Rukia very well, Kira was still sad for Renji and Ichigo. Obviously, Ichigo noted, Renji had already told him.

"I take it you guys know, then?" Ichigo asked, after taking a bite of egg. No one really needed to answer him. It was evident by the atmosphere around the four of them. After a few moments of silence, Kira finally decided to try and lighten the mood.

"Ichigo. Considering that you are at the top of the class, you got the letter, right?" he asked.

Nodding, Ichigo responded, "Yeah. I found it this morning."

Renji raised an eye-brow questioningly, and asked. "Letter?" Hinamori, too, looked confused as to what Kira was referring to.

"Oh? You two didn't get the letter, then?" Kira asked.

"What letter?" Renji asked, again.

Ichigo and Kira looked at each other for a second, before Kira responded. "We've been picked to be given our Zanpakuto's later today."

"What?" Renji yelled.

"W-Wow! Congratulations, you two!" Hinamori said. She was being honest, too. She wasn't one to get upset about someone getting something before her. Unlike Renji.

"When did you get it?" He yelled.

"I already said, 'I found mine this morning'." Ichigo responded, which Kira nodded in affirmation that he did the same.

"Why didn't I get one?" Renji asked, incredulous that he wasn't picked. It wasn't anything surprising. As was said before, while he was picked to be in the advanced class, he was at the lower end of the list.

"Renji, please calm down! Everyone's staring at us!" Hinamori pleaded, blushing in embarrassment. As Renji started calming down, he looked around and, sure enough, every last person in the room was staring at them. Some in curiosity, some in annoyance, some just because they could.

Kira laughed nervously, and spoke, "Sorry about that, everyone! Our friend has a bit of a temper!" Everyone slowly began returning to their meals, with a few grumbles being heard.

"Do not..." Renji grumbled. To which Kira sweat dropped.

"Do to." Ichigo responded quickly, before ducking under a flying leap, done by no one other then Renji. A few crashes were heard, with a few screams here or there, before a loud bonk filled the room. Looking over, the three saw Renji face planted against the wall across the room, upside down. Looking at the other two, Ichigo said, "What I want to know is, how on earth did he make it from here all the way over there." finishing by pointed in Renji's direction. Hinamori sighed, while Kira gave a slight shrug.

After Renji had rejoined them, the rest of the morning went by normally. Ichigo and Renji having friendly banters, Kira laughing and occasionally joining in on it, and Hinamori constantly begging them to stop before they made an even bigger mess. She honestly didn't know why she was friends with these guys. Time passed, and soon enough it was 12:30. After having a quick lunch, Ichigo and Kira said bye to Renji and Hinamori, and headed to the class. After getting there, they took their seats and waited for the instructors to arrive. 15 minutes passed by, and suddenly there was a loud voice. "Everyone, calm down and take your seats, please." It didn't take long for everyone to obey. "Thank you. Now, as you all know, you are here for a very important reason. As you have learned, each Shinigami has a different reiatsu. And, just like the reiatsu, every Shinigami has his own Zanpakuto spirit, hidden inside of them. Today, you have all been chosen to meet that Zanpakuto."

Suddenly, a hand raised from the crowd. After being given permission the speak, the person that the hand belonged to asked, "Sir, why didn't every student get to be given their Zanpakutos at the same time?"

Not missing a beat, which made most of the students think that he had the answer already memorized, Gengoro, their teacher, answered, "We did this because a stable environment is needed in order for you to come into contact with your Zanpakutos. That is why there is only 15 of you. If there were anymore, then it would be extremely difficult to teach you to come into contact with your Zanpakuto's spirit. Most of you will agree, that there was at least one moment when you had a dream of some being, some creature speaking to you."

Ichigo knew exactly what he was talking about.

* * *

><p><em>*Flashback*<em>

Ichigo woke up to find himself no longer in his dorm room. Instead, he was laying on what appeared to be glass. Looking up, he noticed that he was looking directly at the side of a building. _'What's going on here?'_ he wondered. As he stood up, he suddenly became aware that he was also standing on a building. Well, the side of a building, to be precise. If he hadn't already been trained to control his reiatsu to stand on the air, he would've probably panicked by now. However, there was something wrong. He wasn't using any of his reiatsu. He was simply standing on the side of the building. Not only that, but the gravitational pull was completely normal, as though he was standing on the ground. Taking another look around, he also noted that everything had a bluish tint to it. "Where am I?" he asked, aloud.

"In your inner world." a voice answered.

Now that, honestly, made Ichigo start to panic. Looking behind him, he saw a being standing on what looked to be a black sword. "What the heck? When did you get there? Who are you?" he asked in quick succession.

"I have always been here. Ever sense you were born. My name is..." the man responded, but Ichigo couldn't hear the rest, as though it was jumbled up.

"What? I can't hear you!" Ichigo shouted.

The man scowled, and Ichigo suddenly became aware that he almost looked sad. "Very well. Then it is not yet time. Hopefully, when next we meet, you will be strong enough to know me."

*End-Flashback*

* * *

><p>That was the dream he had a few days before this one. He looked around to see a few of the other students, including Kira, nod. They had also had the dream, each being specific to their own Zanpakuto. Gengoro continued, "That was an attempt made by your Zanpakuto to contact you. A Zanpakuto is a weapon, yes, but it is also a friend. It wants to know its wielder. It wants to bond with its wielder. It wants to protect its wielder, no matter what the circumstance. However, just because it was ready to contact you, doesn't mean you were ready. It is highly likely that you don't yet know its name, even though it called you. Some of you might not even know what it looks like. To summarize, this class that you will be taking will teach you not only how to "create" your Zanpakuto, but also how to contact it at any time. That is the main reason why we only picked a few of you for this class. Eventually, every one of your fellow classmates will have this opportunity, but as you are the ones with the highest average score, you were picked to take it first. Congratulations!"<p>

A few more questions were asked, ranging from why the Zanpakuto came in their dreams, to what it would take to mold the sword. All questions were answered, and when Gengoro saw that all questions had been asked, he moved on with the lesson. "Alright then. Before anything, we shall first create the swords themselves. In order to create the basic form of your swords, you must solidify your reiatsu into the form of a sword. You all already know how to solidify your Reiatsu, so it shouldn't be hard. Simply concentrate on forming it into the shape of a regular Katana."

Everyone immediately began focusing on their Reiatsu. As Gengoro said, they had already been trained to control their Reiatsu, but they had never turned it into a sword before. Ichigo was the first to finish his, followed by two others. Kira was next, and then the rest of the class. It took about 30 minutes for the process to be complete. After everyone was done, Gengoro ordered inspectors to check each sword, to ensure that it was done properly. Ichigo noticed that the handles of each katana were different, with his own having a small, red cloth wrapped around through a hole in the handle. After the inspectors gave the go ahead, the lesson continued. "Very good. Now that your swords have been created, you need to be able to communicate with your Zanpakuto's spirit. The rest will come with time. Please follow me to the meditation garden!"

Everyone followed Gengoro through the Academy. In the center of the Academy, there was a square garden, with an area of about 700 yards. It was very green, having various plants and flowers, trees, and bushes all over. A stone path led from four exits, one on each wall, leading to the center. In the center of the garden, there was a fountain with three levels. The top of the fountain sprayed water up, like any other. The water of the fountain didn't stop at the bottom, however. It filled out of the bottom level, and spread in four different directions, creating a small stream zig-zagging through the garden to the four corners. Gengoro stopped in front of the fountain, and everyone stopped in front of him.

"Alright, now everyone take a seat." After everyone had sat down, Gengoro continued, "Now, the reason I've brought you here is because contacting your Zanpakuto, at least at your level, requires a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. The way to contact your Zanpakuto is through a technique called 'Jinzen'. Using this technique allows you to forcibly enter your 'inner world' and contact your Zanpakuto. Jinzen requires extreme focus, especially for first time users. In order to enter Jinzen, you must place your sword on your lap, and meditate. As you are meditating, you must focus your mind on your Zanpakuto. Once a certain measure of concentration is achieved, you will enter your inner world." Everyone immediately lightly placed their Zanpakutos on their laps, and did as they were told. Ichigo didn't know how long it took, but after what seemed like hours, he suddenly found himself in a familiar location. The familiar blue tinted building was above him, and he was sitting on one as well. In front of him was the same man from his dream.

"So you've returned, at last." The being said, to which Ichigo nodded.

"I'm going to ask again. What's is your name?" he asked, calmly. He was prepared to listen this time.

His face remaining neutral, the man jumped down from the black katana, and said, "My name is Zangetsu. Welcome to your inner world, Ichigo."

"So, you're my Zanpakuto?" Ichigo asked, which Zangetsu nodded.

"Yes. I've tried to contact you many times. But only that last time, a few nights ago, did I finally manage to speak to you." he said. Ichigo took another look around. It was the exact same as it was in his dream. Suddenly, Zangetsu called, "Ichigo." which caused Ichigo to look back at Zangetsu. "Just because you know my name, does not mean our work is done. There is more to learn, which you will over time. For now, I will tell you how to unleash my power. I will give you the command. If ever you need me, you are to place your left hand onto your fore-arm and say, 'shout', and call out my name. If you do this, I will come to your aid."

Suddenly, everything went black, and when Ichigo opened his eyes, he saw he was back in the garden. Looking around, he saw that a few were waking up as well. After some time, after everyone had gotten back to reality, Gengoro spoke up again. "Now that each of you has spoken to their Zanpakuto, you will have to do the rest yourself. There is only one way to train yourself on how to use your Zanpakuto, and that is to train *with* your Zanpakuto. Carry your sword with pride! Carry it with confidence! There are rules that must be followed! A Zanpakuto is never to be unleashed unless when being trained with or when a state of emergency overcomes you. Keep that in mind. Congratulations. Dismissed!"

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><p><strong>Wee! Finally a new chapter. ;P As it turns out, it did end up getting longer, after all. :D Once again, for those of you who are "Naruto" fans, I'll keep you updated on whether or not I will be doing the story. As usual, Read, Review, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them in your Reviews or just send me a PM. See ya' later!<strong>

**NOTE: Don't exactly know what they eat... I'm just kinda winging it there. XD**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all! I know it's a bit early, but Merry Christmas to everyone! The reason I'm saying this now, is because I don't know if I'll have the time to update between now and then. I just wanted to make sure, but hopefully I'll be able to update soon after this. :P**

**KuroiTori-sama: Yay! Finally a long, critic-like (I'm sure there's another word...) review! I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to do it. XD Alright, I was going to send you a PM, responding, but I think there might be others who share your opinion, so I'll do it in right here. I can see each of your points, and I understand completely where you got them. Also, I do believe that I have reasons for doing them, and I hope that you will understand after I give them.**

**First, the Renji being the comedic relief. Honestly enough, it's hard for me not to have him be it. Reading the manga, or watching the Anime, you can see that whenever they show them in the Academy, Renji is (90% of the time) getting into some trouble of sorts. I don't intend to keep him getting in trouble like this, and (asides for Ichigo who is apparently ending up a little bit OOC) I'm trying to stay as close to character with all the characters. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep Renji realistic. I apologize, though, if it seems like Renji is OOC at this stage. I'll try my hardest to change that.**

**Now, you gave me the option, but I'm going to accept the other points, also, because I have reasons for them as well. Ichigo is "at the top" in this part of the story, because, in my opinion, he would be in the manga. To quote his Bleach Wiki article: "In his high school, Ichigo's grades are almost always near the top, despite his work as a substitute Shinigami.****" (You can check this in "Ichigo Kurosaki" on the Bleach Wiki under "Powers & abilities") Now, notice it says "almost always near the top". That's while he's working as a substitute. He was missing over 50% of his classes, and he was still smarter then most. If you take away the distractions, he would be even smarter. Now, in Soul Society, it's the same exact thing. His intelligence would be far greater then most of the people there. (And, it seems that 90% of the people in Soul Society are complete idiots, anyways. XD ) Now, with his abilities with swordplay.. Well, I don't think that needs any explanation. His Kido and Reiatsu abilities, however, might. As you already know, Ichigo had an extraordinary amount of Reiatsu. Despite the fact that he lacked the necessary training, Ichigo was able to sense a ghost that he had no idea of it's location. Even Rukia noted that it was "impossible to locate such a weak ghost". Ichigo was also able to figure out how to manipulate his Reiatsu into a protective like shield around his body, which protected him from damage. He did this without any formal training on how to use and manipulate his Reiatsu. Taking this into consideration, I figured that it would also be possible for Ichigo to be able to use Kido on an extraordinary level, if he had the proper training. This is why I have him at the top of the class.**

**Lastly, you are correct that his sword isn't going to be a permanent release in this story. I have my reasons for this as well, though I'm still working out the details in my head. It will have a part to do in the story, later on at least. (And I did want something for Ichigo to shout about. Is there a problem with that...? :P )**

**Alright, so, I'm hoping the finish up the Academy days in this chapter, so there's going to be quite a few time skips (well, maybe). Also, I'm going for my first "long (hopefully)" fight scene in this chapter, so wish me luck! :) OKAY! Now that I added like 500 words... I'll get on with the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Born a Shinigami: Academy Arc: Chapter 8: Time passes fast<strong>

_Two months __later_

The days at the Academy seemed to go by quickly after they had unlocked their Zanpakutos. There was nothing left for them to learn, really. The only thing they could do now was practice, train, and hope that their instructors would pass them when the finals came around. The year end exams were approaching, and the anxiety was felt all over the academy. It was all anyone could think about, it seemed. Except for Ichigo. He had always believed that they weren't that important, or at least, nothing to get stressed out about. If you fail, you fail, and you try again next year. Most people spent three whole years at the academy, anyways. There was only one person who had passed on his first year in the last 100 years, and that was the lieutenant of squad five, Ichimaru Gin. There was also a member of the Shiba clan who passed in his second year, but that paled in comparison. Despite the odds, however, nobody was going to stop anyone else from hoping. If you didn't pass on your first year, you spent another relearning everything that you already learned in the first place! Nobody in their right mind would want that. Well, unless you liked studying.

"I can't wait to ace that test!" shouted a certain red head. Now there was somebody who *didn't* like studying.

"It's in another three months, Renji. Don't get so worked up about it." Ichigo muttered, looking out the window. They were currently in the class room, waiting for the instructor to get there. Why were they always so late!

"I'm excited too. Perhaps we'll be the newest people who graduate in our first year!" Kira commented.

"Don't get your hopes up. Please. I'd rather not see you guys hit the ground." Ichigo advised, a smirk evident on his face.

"Oh, don't be so negative!" Hinamori said, though she wasn't too confident, herself.

"Yeah! You've been such a downer lately, Ichigo!" Renji accused. Ichigo just rolled his eyes, and continued looking out the window. How could he not be a downer? Rukia was gone. She had accepted the Kuchiki's offer the day after it was given. Ichigo had tried to keep a happy face when they all said good-bye, but it was all an act. He wanted her to be happy, but he was selfish enough to want her to be happy with him around. He wasn't exactly "around" when Rukia was now a part of one of the most noble clans in all of Soul Society. Renji was sad, as well, though apparently he was a better actor then Ichigo was.

Sighing, Ichigo thought aloud, "Just where are those teachers, anyways?" Of course, at that exact moment, they came through the doors. Smirking, Ichigo whispered the Renji, "I knew it would work!" causing Renji to chuckle.

"Good morning, class." said the teacher in a commanding voice. He was standing besides the schools Arena head-master, which probably meant they were going to be doing combat training today. Sure enough... "Today, you are going to the arena to practice your combat abilities. Please follow master Shimedzu Morihiro **(Hurray for Japanese name generators...) **to the arena!" Following their orders, they all followed Morihiro to the arena. Morihiro was a shorter man, with gray hair showing his age (which no one knew). The arena was the name they gave the... Well, basically it was the gym. The reason they called it "the arena" was because it was where they practiced with their swordplay, most often being in a 1v1, 2v2, 2v1, ect., battle. Sometimes, they would even separate the total number of students, and have them clash in a much bigger battle, though that was on a very rare occasion. After they arrived, Morihiro immediately walked to the front of the arena, where a large stage was located. After sitting down, he pulled out a paper, though no one could see what was on it.

"Alright. Today we're going to be doing one verses one battles. For fairness, you'll be matched up with students who have the same, or close to the same, combat ability as you. Please sit down on the chairs along the wall until your name is called. When your name is called, please go to the part of the circle that's assigned to you." said the Head-master. Though his voice was soft, there was no thinking that it wasn't authoritative. If anyone questioned him, Morihiro was quick to put that person in their place. After everyone had gotten to their seats, the Head-master began calling out names. Most of the people called ended up giving very long, tiresome battles, though most ended up being fought with the Zanpakuto's activated. This was for training purposes, because though the Zanpakuto's power may vary, at the moment no one had any abilities. Finally, after an hour had passed, "Ichigo Kurosaki, left! Renji Abarai, right!" was called. Ichigo smirked, and Renji gave a wide grin.

"Hai!" both said, as they took their respective places in the arena. They unsheathed their swords, and held them in a defensive stance in front of them. Both holding it with both hands, vertically.

"Are you two ready?" Morihiro asked, and when they gave their affirmation that they were, he shouted "Begin!"

Renji was the first to move, rushing directly at Ichigo. Just as he was about to reach Ichigo, he jumped above and swung down, for an extra powered attack. Ichigo immediately held his sword sideways above him, blocking the strike, before pushing Renji off. Now it was Ichigo's turn to rush Renji, as he swung sideways, hoping to catch Renji while he was regaining his balance. Renji stepped back, avoiding the slash, before doing a diagonal slash, aiming to slice Ichigo across his chest. Ichigo swiftly blocked once again, this time raising his left leg to kick Renji back. Taking the full impact, Renji was forced to jump back again. He looked back to see that he was on the edge of the arena, the back of his foot just in front of the line separating the arena from the area surrounding it. Looking back at Ichigo, his eyes widened when he saw that Ichigo had jumped, and was just about to slash down on him. Having no where to go, Renji was forced to block the downward slash. Quickly twisting his blade, Renji stepped to the side, before jumping back to the center of the arena. Standing straight, Ichigo turned to look at Renji, his head cocked to the side slightly, with his sword being held lazily, the tip barely touching the ground. Smirking, Ichigo ran at Renji again, holding his sword behind him to strike Renji on the side. Right as Ichigo was about to reach Renji, the red head smiled, and rushed towards Ichigo doing a downward strike. This caused Ichigo to quickly raise his blade, though when the two metals clashed, Ichigo's was forced down and he took a few steps back. Renji decided to take advantage of the slight opening, and slashed across Ichigo's chest. Ichigo stepped back, causing the blade to just barely rip his uniform. Renji then began a barrage of attacks, striking up, down, left, and right at a very fast pace. Ichigo was able to block every strike except the last, which he sidestepped away from. As he was stepping, Ichigo slashed up diagonally, causing blood to fly from Renji's shoulder. Not missing a beat, Ichigo then kneed Renji in the stomach, causing the red head to fall back. As he was falling, Renji quickly lifted his right leg, causing his body to twist. He was then able to grab the floor with his hand, and twirl back onto his feet without ever hitting the ground. Renji examined his shoulder, which had a very light cut. It was hurting, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Luckily for him, it wasn't his right arm, so he could still fight properly. He then looked at Ichigo, who had readjusted his stance so that he was standing sideways, looking at Renji with his blade pointed at him.

Renji smirked, then said "That all you got, Ichigo? You're gonna have to do better then that!" he finished with a shout, then charged Ichigo again. Right as he was in range, Renji went for an upward slash. However, Ichigo quickly twirled his sword, and also did an upward slash, parrying Renji's attack, and slashing Renji's left arm slightly with the downwards strike that followed.

"Don't get careless, Renji. I'm not holding back, neither should you!" Ichigo warned his friend, before slashing again, this time going for Renji's chest. Renji grinned, before leaning back to avoid the strike, then slashing down, giving Ichigo a cut on the right side of his waist. Ichigo's eyes widened, and he quickly brought his sword up to block Renji's next attack.

As the blades clashed, Renji said "I wasn't holding back in the first place." He then lightened his blade, before twirling and kicking at Ichigo. Ichigo jumped back, avoiding the attack.

"Tch." Ichigo responded before rushing at Renji again. He wasn't about to lose to the red head. He quickly feigned attacking from the left, before twirling around and attacking from the right. Renji was fooled, and when he went to block the fake, he received a slash across his chest. His eyes widened, and Ichigo managed to punch him in the face, sending him flying back. Renji quickly stopped himself by stabbing his sword into the ground, but before he could recover, Ichigo was in front of him again. Slashing down, Ichigo purposefully missed, before slashing from the side, cutting Renji across the chest right below the first slash. Ichigo then switched from his right hand to his left, twirled, and slashed at Renji from the same direction again. This time, though, Renji managed to block the attack. Ichigo then twirled again, attacking from the other side. Renji also blocked this attack, but couldn't stop the attack that Ichigo did when he twirled his sword and slashed from above. Ichigo's sword slashed right down Renji's right shoulder, almost causing the red head to drop his sword. Ichigo finished his barrage by doing a spinning kick, forcing Renji out of the stage. Ichigo stood straight, panting as he waited for Renji to stand up. Renji didn't comply, however, and just laid on the ground, gasping for air.

"Winner, Kurosaki Ichigo." Morihiro announced, and a round of applause erupted throughout the arena. Sheathing his sword, Ichigo up to Renji and looked down at him.

Smirking, Ichigo taunted, "You look like crud, Renji."

Panting, Renji muttered, "Of course. That hurt, dummy." Ichigo then reached down and helped Renji to his feet.

"Hey, you taunted me. You only got what you deserved." Ichigo pointed out.

Renji smirked, and said "Guess your right. Good fight, Strawberry!" and walked away, leaving Ichigo with an annoyed expression.

"...Heh. Anytime, Pineapple." Ichigo said, just loud enough for Renji to hear him. Medics saw to Renji, to help him recover from his wounds, while Ichigo went back to his seat.

"Nice job, Ichigo!" Kira congratulated, and Hinamori nodded.

"Thanks. Don't get relaxed though, you guys still need to fight, right?" Ichigo reminded them.

"That's right. I wonder when it'll be my turn...?" Hinamori wondered, before the Head-master called out two names.

"Hinamori Momo, right! Yamhata Kiyo, left!" was heard, causing Hinamori to jump slightly. She honestly wasn't expecting that to work as well as Ichigo had said it did.

"Good luck!" Kira shouted, and Ichigo nodded.

"Thanks, guys!" Momo **(I've been doing the same thing with her that I was doing with Kira... FAIL, Vick... FAIL...)** said, before running over to her spot on the field. Her opponent stood across from her. She was a little taller then Momo, and had blond hair that was in a shaggy mess.

"Are you two ready?" Mohiro asked, and when they both nodded, he continued, "Begin!"

Momo and Kiyo stood across from each other, observing the other. Suddenly, they both rushed each other, and with a clash, they began! Momo quickly rolled, using her size to her advantage to get out of the way of a downward strike. She then turned and slashed from the left, cutting Kiyo's back across. Kiyo staggered forward, before turning and striking at Momo. She jumped back, avoiding the strike all together, before rushing again. Kiyo slashed down, which Momo blocked, and then she striked from the right. Momo ducked under this strike, and cut Kiyo's left leg. This caused Kiyo to kneel down, but she quickly slashed at Momo from the left. Momo dodged back, before placing her sword against her opponents kneck, signifying a death.

"Winner, Hinamori Momo!" Mohiro announced. And claps were heard throughout the arena once again. Kiyo walked away, her head down, to the medics. Hinamori ran over to Ichigo, Kira, and Renji (who had returned from getting patched up) cheering to herself. They were clapping along with everyone else.

"Nice job, Momo!" Kira said, mimicking what he had said earlier to Ichigo.

"Yeah. That was fast!" commented Renji, and Ichigo nodded a congratulations. As they sat and waited, several other matches went on. Finally, the last match was announced.

"Sasaki Naomi, right! Izuru Kira, left!" shouted the Head-master.

After the match had begun, the two fought an even battle, neither being able to get through the defenses of the other. However, after several strikes and slashes had been made, Kira was finally able to break through Naomi's defenses, slashing him across the chest, and then placing his blade to Naomi's kneck.

"Winner, Izuru Kira!" Morihiro announced. Kira walked calmly back to the group, and they all congratulated him.

"That was the only fight among them all that actually had thinking involved in it." Ichigo commented, which caused them all to laugh a little.

"Everyone!" Morihiro called, grabbing everyone's attention. "I'd like to say, good job to all of you. That was some impressive swordplay! That will be all for today, dismissed!" After that, everyone went their separate ways. Well, almost everyone. Ichigo, Renji, Kira, and Momo all headed to the cafeteria to grab something to eat.

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><p><em>One month later<em>

"Hado #31!" Yelled the instructor.

This was quickly followed by "**Hado #31, Shakkaho!**" and a large wave of red energy went flying at the target zone.

Then, the instructor yelled, "Bakudo #21!"

"**Bakudo #21, Sekeinton!**" Suddenly, they were all surrounded by red smoke.

Next came, "Hado #4!"

"**Hado #4, Byakurai!**" was heard, and a large wave of lightning suddenly blasted out from the smoke, hitting the flames that were earlier created. This caused an even larger explosion.

"Good!" The instructor said, as he looked at the students, which weren't yet visible through the smoke. It was clearing slowly, but it would take awhile. "You did well, today. You managed to hit the fire on the first shot. I'm surprised that you weren't electrified, Abarai." the instructor said. A loud moan was heard, and a few chuckles were also heard. "Alright, well done, dismissed!"

This is how it had been for the entire month. Kido practice, Zanjutsu practice, Hakuda practice, Hoho practice... Nothing but that, doing it over and over and over again. Ichigo and Kira figured out why after about half a month. It made sense, that they would be working them like this. Though it was unlikely, the teachers wanted them to graduate, as well. They worked them time after time after time, so that when the final exam finally came along, they would be able to pass. Unfortunately, as was said earlier, it was extraordinarily uncommon to graduate first, second, third, even fourth or fifth years. Usually it took a total of six years, which was the maximum. If you didn't graduate by your seventh year, you were forced into a group other then the Gotei 13, Kido corpse, and Special Forces. That was the patrol groups, the ones that were forced to do Hollow searches every day. It wasn't uncommon for this to happen to people, but it was only the weakest who were forced into them, with some exceptions. If you didn't want to be put into that group, you were definitely hoping to pass the final exam. So, you were forced through a fierce training course. If you failed that test, you were forced through the lessons all over again, and then trained again. It kept going till your final year. Ichigo just hoped it was worth it.

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><p><em>Two months later: After test<em>

The day had finally came. Everyone was chatting about the whole thing. The test day had arrived. When they walked into the main room, the instructors ran them each through individual tests. Everything from common knowledge, to the most complicated Kido problems. After only doing 25% of the thing, Ichigo knew why it was so difficult to pass on your first year. Ichigo had struggled with several of the problems, but had managed to press on. Half the people quit after getting half way done. Finally, after hours of testing, they were done. Everyone who was still taking the test sat in their seats, waiting for the results. Finally, after another hour of waiting, the teachers walked in. Gengoro, the head teacher, walked to the front. "I'd like to congratulate those who made it through the whole test. However, the results weren't good. Though, I'm pleased too say they were better then I expected. 25 percent of you who made it to the end scored above fifty percent, and ten percent of you scored even higher. I'm also pleased to say, that you have all had the pleasure of meeting a genius. Kurosaki Ichigo, stand!"

Startled, Ichigo stood, eyes slightly widened. He didn't think that he had done it... He didn't think it was possible. Kira was confused for a moment, before realization kicked in, and he couldn't help but smile. Renji was plain out confused, and Momo was just waiting to see what happened. "H-hai?" Ichigo responded.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. I am please to inform you, that you are the first in one hundred years to pass on the first year. Congratulations." Gengoro said, a large smile plastered on his face.

"W-What?" Ichigo muttered, not quite sure if he was dreaming or awake.

"Congratulations, Ichigo!" Kira and Momo yelled in unison, while Renji had a shocked look on his face.

"You heard me, Kurosaki. You passed. Congratulations!" Gengoro repeated, expecting this reaction.

"Th-thank you, sir." Ichigo said with a slight bow, before resitting. He was still shocked. He didn't know what to think at the moment. Renji gave him a slap on his shoulder, finally coming out of his shock. Renji hadn't expected anyone to pass, either, once he realized how hard the test was. But, Ichigo did it, miraculously. **(Or maybe, I had something to do with it...? Tee-hee... :D )**

"Head to the main area. You'll be met by a representative from the Gotei 13. Congratulations, Kurosaki. The rest of you, guess you'll be staying another year!" Gengoro finished with an evil smile. "Rest assured, we'll make it even more painful then your first! Dismissed!"

After everyone groaned (asides for Ichigo), they all left the room. Ichigo went to his room to pack up, followed by the rest of the group. "So, how's it feel?" Kira asked.

"Hmm? Hows what feel?" Ichigo wondered, confused as to what his friend was saying.

"I mean, how does it feel to be an official Shinigami?" Kira rephrased.

"Oh..." Ichigo muttered, "I.. I don't know, yet. I'm still getting used to the idea myself."

Chuckling, Renji said "So you finally surpassed me, eh?" This caused Momo and Kira to sweat drop.

Ichigo laughed, "Renji."

"Hmm...?" Renji said.

"I was never below you in the first place, idiot." Ichigo said.

Renji smirked, and they all walked out the room when Ichigo was done packing. As they headed to the main entrance of the Academy, they all said their goodbyes. Momo and Kira gave a sad "good-bye", and Renji fist pumped Ichigo.

As Ichigo was turning to leave, Renji said "Ichigo!"

"Yeah...?" Ichigo asked.

"Don't die before we get there, okay?" Renji said, honest concern in his voice.

Chuckling, Ichigo responded. "Sure, just don't let the instructors kill ya'." With that, and a final wave, Ichigo left with the representative. Several thoughts went through his head as he followed the Shinigami, but the one that stood out the most was "Rukia."

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><p><strong>And there we go! Sorry for rushing through Momo's fight, and plain out not doing Kira's fight. I figured I did "okay" on Ichigo and Renji's battle, so I didn't want to blow it by either doing horrible or getting repetative with the other battles. I think I did okay on this chapter, though... I don't know... . I guess what I'm trying to say is, Review! :D Again, if I don't update between now and then... Everyone, have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Years Eve! Later!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all! How was your Christmas/New Years? I had a good one, myself. What about New Year Resolutions? If it isn't too personal, I'd like to know! Mine, personally, is to try my hardest to do better in school, be more considerate of others, and to remember to strive to achieve the best I can. On another note: I'd like to thank you all for the great reviews! Those who say how much they like the story encourage me to keep going, and those who point out how I could improve... Well, they help me improve, of course! I really appreciate you guys taking the time, no matter how little it may be, to say what you do in the reviews. So, that said, on with the next chapter! :D**

**Quick note: I noticed that I had gotten the color of the thread wrapped around Zangetsu's hilt the wrong color. But, I'm going to keep it red, instead of changing it to blue. I prefer red, anyways. :P**

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><p>When last we left Ichigo and the gang, he was saying farewell to the companions who had been with him throughout his time at the Academy. Graduating in just one year, he was considered a genius and was almost guaranteed an easy pass into whatever squad he decided to join. The Gotei 13, a group of 13 squads who are sworn to protect the peace of Soul Society with their lives, is the next step for any graduate of the Academy. For Ichigo, several options presented themselves. Rukia, who had already graduated thanks to Byakuya Kuchiki and his influence within Soul Society, was already a member of a squad. But there are also other squads which Ichigo could join, including the one he suspected his other friends would join. Aizen's. With the time for Ichigo to choose approaching, we shall see what path he takes.<p>

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><p>Chapter 9: Soul Society Arc: The Orange Haired Shinigami, the New Story<p>

Everything was pitch black as Ichigo followed his guide. The "portal" they were using, though unnecessary, helped to shorten the time it took to reach Seireitei from the Academy. Though dark to the point of not being able to see anything, Ichigo was still able to see himself as he looked at his raised hand. Looking ahead, he could also see his guide. His guide was a medium sized man, nothing being truly noteworthy about him. He had short, dark brown hair that was perfectly combed straight up, though you couldn't see the comb lines so it looked nigh impossible to achieve. He was wearing the standard Shinigami uniform, and his Zanpakuto was hanging in its dark blue sheath at his side. Ichigo's Zanpakuto-being in a golden sheath-hung by his own side, the crimson red cloth waving to and fro as he walked in pace behind the man in front of him.

They had been walking for a short while now-about 30 minutes-and Ichigo was starting to get annoyed. He sped up his pace, and moved just behind his guide.

"How much longer? It feels like we've been walking for days!" he almost shouted, though he managed to keep his voice low enough to not deafen the Shinigami.

The guide jumped slightly when Ichigo started talking, obviously being caught off-guard by Ichigo, and he turned his head to look at the orange-head.

"We should be there in just a few more minutes." he said in a exasperated tone.

Ichigo let out a sigh, and slowed down so he was back in his earlier position behind the Shinigami. He had hoped for a better answer then that, but at the moment he was too worn out to push it any further. It took another 15 minutes until they reached their destination. Ichigo was hardly paying attention when his guide stopped suddenly, and he almost rammed right into him. Luckily for both of them-the Shinigami for pain, Ichigo for embarrassment-Ichigo was able to skid to a halt just three feet from the unsuspecting Shinigami. As the man turned to look at Ichigo, he jumped for the second time on this trip, this time quite a few feet into the air when he saw Ichigo's face much closer then he would've liked.

Regaining his composure and clearing his throat, the guide spoke in a false confident tone, "H-Here we are. Past this gate is your destination."

He was pointing at a large, medieval looking Japanese door, which was right in front of them.

_'How'd I miss that?'_ Ichigo couldn't help but wonder.

The Shinigami tapped the door, and it slid open to reveal... Well, nothing really. As far as Ichigo could see, it was completely white, almost as though a great light was shining through the door. It wasn't blinding, however, so Ichigo didn't have to shield his eyes.

"Off you go, then. Good luck out there." The guide said in a bored tone, and Ichigo couldn't help but follow his instructions as he slowly stepped through the door.

On the other side, there was a small crowd of people, all wearing the familiar black attire of the Shinigami, except for the few at the end. The sky was clear of clouds, and the sun shone high in the sky. They were in a large courtyard, being surrounded by the large medium sized walls that were found throughout Seireitei. There were buildings all around on the other side of the walls, but the courtyard itself was devoid of any building. In front of Ichigo, off in the distance, was a large building with a hill off to the side, and a tower. The tower was towering over anything and everything that could be seen in Seireitei, and Ichigo imagined that you could see just about anything from it's massive height. The hill wasn't very noteworthy, though Ichigo could see two tall objects standing on top of the mountain. Every individual was standing in complete harmony, all directly to the side of each other, standing perfectly straight and in good posture. They formed a sort of path, and at the end were five individuals, all except one wearing the Taichou's haori. One of them was Aizen-Taichou, who had a kind smile on his face.

_'Still gives me the creeps, that guy!'_ Ichigo couldn't help but think to himself.

The one standing to the left of Aizen was another man with long, white hair. He too had a kind smile on his face, and his posture was one of complete calmness. To the right of those two was a tall... Knight? Ichigo blinked in surprise when he saw him... At least he thought it was a him. But, indeed, there stood another Taichou, being several feet-yards even-taller then the others, with a wooden, basket looking helmet that covered his entire face. He was absolutely huge, in Ichigos admittedly unprofessional opinion. Next, standing next to the white haired Taichou was another man. This one, he looked much older then all of them. He was slightly hunched over, and he was supporting his weight on a large walking stick. Due to his long beard, Ichigo couldn't tell what his expression was. However, Ichigo knew just by looking at him, that this was Yamamoto-SouTaichou, the legendary Taichou of Squad 1 and head of all the Gotei 13. And if his looks didn't confirm it, his absolutely ginormous Reiatsu did. Even though he was holding it all back, Ichigo could still feel the amount drifting off of him. Finally, standing behind him to the left, was a average sized man with a really weird mustache and grey hair that was neatly combed. He stood in a straight posture, hands held behind him. Obviously Yamamoto's FukuTaichou, Ichigo noted.

As Ichigo slowly-as he was nervous, and didn't quite know what to do-walked towards them the Taichou with long hair whispered to Yamamoto. "Sensei, is he...?"

He was interrupted by Yamamoto, who responded in his gruff voice, "Yes, though distantly."

Ichigo couldn't hear them because of the distance, but he could see them talking to each other. He paid them no mind, however and continued walking forward. When he finally reached them, he bowed respectfully. Despite being raised in the worst district in Rukongai, the Academy had taught him some manners.

"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki." The large man with the helmet said in a tone that gave Ichigo the impression that he wasn't as dangerous as he appeared. Or, at least he was a nice person. He could still be dangerous, Ichigo supposed.

"Yes! Welcome to the Gotei 13. I must say, I'm impressed from just what I've read in the report! There hasn't been a first year graduate since Ichimaru came along." The white haired Taichou said in a kind tone.

Ichigo was already liking him. He was calm, and seemed like a genuinely nice person. Next, however, came someone he really didn't want to talk to at the moment.

"It's good to see you again, Ichigo. You've come a long way since I saw you at the Academy, haven't you?" Aizen said.

His tone was friendly, and he was smiling at Ichigo, but the orange haired man just couldn't calm his nerves around him. It wasn't that he had done anything to him. He had saved Ichigos life for goodness sakes! But something about him just made Ichigo nervous, almost afraid. But, Ichigo knew he should at least attempt to be nice to the Taichou, so long as he didn't try anything.

"Hai, Aizen-Taichou! It's good to see you, as well." Ichigo said with a slight-fake, of course-smile.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" came a loud, commanding voice.

Ichigo knew that it could only belong to one, and only one, person. Yamamoto-SouTaichou.

"H-Hai!" Ichigo found himself saying, almost instinctual. _'The old man almost commands respect with his tone! This is ridiculous!'_

"I welcome you to the Gotei 13. You are a potential prodigy, this much is certain. However, your path does not get any easier from here." The elder Shinigami paused and nodded at his FukuTaichou, who quickly nodded and handed Ichigo a small stack of papers. After he had stood back behind him, Yamamoto continued. "Those are application forms, 13 in all, each belonging to one of the 13 squads. You must consider which squad you wish to join. We shall give you one week to decide where you would like to go. You must decide within that time, or a squad shall be assigned for you." Once again, Yamamoto paused and another Shinigami, seemingly as though he had rehearsed for this moment, shunpo'd beside Ichigo and bowed towards the SouTaichou. "You shall follow this man to the reserve quarters. You shall stay there until you make your decision. You may explore the surrounding garden as much as you wish, but you are not to leave the compound." the old man commanded.

Ichigo nodded, to confirm that he had been listening and that he did understand. He honestly felt that, if he didn't, he would've been in deep trouble.

"Dismissed." Yamamoto concluded, and he began walking off in some... random direction, followed by his FukuTaichou.

Someone shunpo'd in and called for Aizen, and he also left to handle whatever it was that was required of him. The large, helmet wearing Taichou was also forced to leave, leaving only the long haired Taichou. As he approached Ichigo, he couldn't help but think of one person. Putting those thoughts aside as Ichigo looked at him, the Taichou smiled.

Ichigo couldn't help but ask, "My apologies, Taichou, but is Yamamoto-SouTaichou always that... Scary?"

The Taichou paused, with a slightly confused look on his face, before he started chuckling slightly.

"Unfortunately, he is. But he'll grow on you, eventually. I'm Jushiro Ukitake, by the way." Jushiro said, kindly.

Ichigo was about to respond, before the Taichou began coughing loudly.

When he finally stopped, Ichigo asked him in a worried tone. "Are you alright, Ukitake-Taichou?"

Smiling, Jushiro responded in a calm tone, "It's alright. I've had problems ever since I can remember! Ah, not mentally, mind you." They both laughed heartily at the joke, before Jushiro continued. "Oh, and you can call me Jushiro. The title isn't really all that necessary!"

It wasn't even a second after the white haired Taichou said this that Ichigo let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness!" he said, "I was worried I was going to be calling *everybody* by some title of sorts."

They both started laughing again. But they were interrupted by a loud "TAICHOU!". Ah, make that two "TAICHOU!"s, as it was said as though with a smaller counterpart. Suddenly, two Shinigami appeared in front of Jushiro-one being a man with spiky hair, the other being a short girl-both shouting random gibberish that Ichigo couldn't understand. Oddly enough, it seemed as though Jushiro could understand it.

Sighing, the long haired Taichou turned to Ichigo and said "Sorry to cut our meeting short, Ichigo, but I'm needed at my squad barracks."

Understanding that the Taichou was probably busy, and was using up plenty of time to talk to him as it was, Ichigo smiled and responded, "No problem, Jushiro. I guess I'll be seeing you later."

The Taichou nodded and waved, before shunpoing along with the two other Shingami that had come for him. Turning to the Shinigami, who had been patiently waiting for Ichigo to shut the heck up and come with him, Ichigo nodded, and the both headed off down an alley.

* * *

><p>As Ichigo and his guide walked away, a certain Taichou with glasses was walking towards his barracks with a smirk on his face.<p>

_'He suspects me. This is certainly interesting. I will enjoy playing this mental game of chess with you, Ichigo Kurosaki.'_

* * *

><p>*30 minutes later*<p>

After following the Shinigami through the various alleyways and pathways of Seireitei, Ichigo was beginning to wonder if he was very going to be able to sit down. His feet were killing him, his head was hurting from sleep deprivation, his body was sore from the constant moving around. It hadn't helped that every Shinigami that they passed seemed to want to talk to him. It also didn't help that the Shinigami he was following seemed to have something against jumping across the roof tops. Finally, Ichigo couldn't help but ask his guide, for the second time that day, that annoying question that every kid asks their parents at one time or another.

"Are we there yet?" he said.

However, unlike his first guide, this one didn't even say anything. He didn't even stop for a moment to look at Ichigo with a "shut up" expression! He just kept moving along towards their destination.

Sighing, Ichigo muttered to himself, "Guess not." and continued walking after his guide.

Finally, after several more minutes of walking, greeting Shinigami that they passed, *not using the stinking roof tops*, and complaining, Ichigo's guide finally stopped in front of a large wall. This time, however, Ichigo was paying attention so that he didn't have a repeat incident. The Shinigami turned to Ichigo, nodded, and walked away.

Ichigo, who now had a "you're kidding, right" look on his face, muttered to himself, "Is he mute or something? Deaf maybe? Gah, I hope I don't run into him in the future."

The door was unlocked, and on the other side there was a beautiful garden surrounded by several small buildings. There were large trees spread throughout, flowers, bushes, and several other things you'd expect to find in a garden. There was a stone pathway, leading to each of the buildings. There was not a sound to be heard in the compound, and the reason was because there was no one but the orange haired Shinigami there. Ichigo was a first year graduate, after all. The reserve compound was used only when there was no room for the squad members at their respective barracks, or when someone graduated from the Academy and needed a place to stay.

Ichigo decided that he could probably take any one of the rooms, being as no one was using them. He walked to the one on the other side of the garden, across from the main entrance. When he opened it, there was dust *everywhere*! He smirked as he remembered the huts he stayed at in Inuzuri. Anyone else would probably be completely disgusted at the amount of dust in the room. But to Ichigo, it was at least tolerable. There wasn't anything in the room, other then a lantern that was hanging from the ceiling. The only opening was the door that led outside into the garden, so Ichigo decided to leave it open to let some fresh air enter the room. He was about to leave and head back into the garden, before he noticed a large pack in the corner of the room. On it was a tag, and it said,

To Ichigo,

Sorry for not being able to greet you in person!

Consider this a house-warming gift, free of charge!

There was nothing on it saying who it was from. The handwriting was somewhat lazily written, each letter almost becoming part of the next. Ichigo had no idea who could have written it, but he knew it couldn't have been anybody he personally knew. It definitely wasn't Rukia as she had way better writing then whoever wrote this letter.

"Rukia." Ichigo muttered to himself.

Sighing, he opened the pack, to find an inflatable mattress inside. When he tried to remove the bundle, however, he found that the bag kept trying to come with it. Scowling, Ichigo grabbed the bag and attempted to force the mattress out. There was a loud ripping sound, and then a slam on the other side of the room. The bag had ripped, and Ichigo had been sent flying to the other side of the room, mattress in tow. He was dazed momentarily, before looking at the mattress. His eyes widened when he saw that it was already inflated, and that it was incredibly light. He let go of it, and it immediately sank to the ground, deflated. A smirk let itself onto Ichigo's face as realization kicked in. He touched the mattress with his hand, and it immediately inflated once more.

"It reacts to my Reiatsu." the orange haired man said aloud, to no one in particular.

He tried laying down on it, and finding that it was quite comfortable, he relaxed and started looking at the application forms that he received earlier. On it was a list of all the current Taichous and FukuTaichous who were currently on active duty. There was also a list of the squads specialties, what they were looking for, what they were about, among other things. There wasn't any squad rosters, however, so Ichigos original plan to search the rosters to find Rukia was foiled then and there. However, despite his extraordinary want to see Rukia again, something else was gnawing at him. It was a certain few words that another one of his friends had said.

* * *

><p>*Flash-back*<p>

He was sitting in the far corner of the cafeteria at the Academy. It was just after they had left the world of the living, after Aizen-Taichou and Ichimaru-FukuTaichou had saved them. Renji, Kira, and Momo all sat at the same table talking about what had transpired. Momo, in particular, said these certain words.

"When I graduate, I'm joining Aizen-Taichou's squad!" said the girl, her hands clapped in front of her face in excitement.

*End Flash-back*

* * *

><p>Those were her words, and Ichigo could tell that Kira and Renji both agreed with her, though they hadn't said it themselves. He was concerned then, and he was just as concerned now. Something was horribly wrong with Aizen, though the newly graduated Shinigami had no way of determining what it was. As much as he wanted to see Rukia, she wasn't in possible danger as far as he could tell. It was the other three. Could he really chance it if his hunch was right? He would continue to contemplate his decision for the next few undisturbed minutes.<p>

* * *

><p>*Meanwhile, across Seireitei, at Squad 13 barracks*<p>

A certain short, raven haired Shinigami sat out on the porch of her squad quarters. Each member of a squad received their own private room from the squad Taichou, and her brother had been sure to remind Jushiro to provide a larger, more comfortable room for Rukia then the norm. As a flock of birds flew past her, she heard footsteps coming from the other side of the porch, to her right. Glancing over, she saw the familiar sight of her brown-haired FukuTaichou, Kaien.

* * *

><p>*Flash-back*<p>

"Good morning, Rukia!" "Hello, Kuchiki!" were the words that Rukia heard as she walked down the hall of the barracks. Her brother, Byakuya, had pre-assigned her to squad 13 after she had "graduated" from the Academy. His reasoning was unknown to her, but even on her first glimpse of the squad she was already liking what she was seeing. Everyone was so polite, so intent on being friendly with the other squad mates. The short Shinigami was even wondering if any of them held a grudge! Granted, she hadn't met them all yet, but from what she had seen it was a very, very friendly squad. The Taichou was a kind man, as well. He was very caring of his soldiers, and he was almost always walking around the barracks making small talk to the members. Her destination was training room #2 currently, and her reasoning was that her Taichou had insisted that she meet his FukuTaichou. He had said that his second was just as friendly as the rest were, if not more so! So, there she walked along the hallway, trying desperately not to be late.

Finally, she reached the designated meeting area and sat down after closing the door behind her. She had not been there for more then a few minutes when the door opened again. Turning to look at the man, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates!

"I-Ichigo?" she muttered in wonder, before looking up to notice the lack of bright orange hair and the replacement of dark brown hair.

The resemblance was incredible! Seemingly impossible, even! If you gave either of them the hair color of the other, they would be exact twins! The man looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ichigo? Who's Ichigo?" the man asked, and Rukia couldn't help but start stuttering slightly.

Great, he had heard her. Not that it was exactly a bad thing, or at least she hoped it wasn't a bad thing. The Shinigami had run into many in Inuzuri who were greatly offended when they were mistaken for someone else.

"I-I'm sorry. It-It's just you look just like a friend of mine." She stuttered out, embarrassed that she might have made a bad first impression.

The man smiled and chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about it, Kuchiki. Though, now that you mention it, Ichigo does sound like a familiar name to me..." He was speaking in a completely relaxed tone.

"His last name's Kurosaki. Do you know him?" She asked.

She didn't expect him too know her long time friend, and you can't say you would be surprised if there were others named Ichigo. The FukuTaichou's eyes widened slightly, before he returned to his thinking face.

"Hm, nope! Doesn't ring a bell!" he exclaimed suddenly.

Rukia looked at him questioningly. One minute, he's saying that the name sounds familiar, and the next he's completely denying it? Ah well, maybe he was mistaken.

"Anyways... My name's Kaien. Kaien Shiba. Welcome to the 13th squad, Kuchiki!" The Shiba said with a slight smile.

Rukia looked at him for a moment, before smiling wide and saying "Thank you."

*End Flashback*

* * *

><p>"Hey there, Kuchiki!" shouted the Shiba clan member, completely interrupting Rukia's memory.<p>

"Kaien! What brings you here?" she asked questioningly. He was a busy man, after all. He didn't have time to stop by for idle chitchat most of the time.

"Remember that friend of yours? The one you keep saying looks like me?" the brunet asked, which Rukia nodded in response. He smirked, and continued his news "Well, apparently he graduated today. He's here, at the reserve compound. Graduating in a year, no less. That's better then me, dangit!" He had shouted this last bit, though Rukia could tell he was merely playing. That wasn't her concern at the moment, however, as her eyes were wide. Her mouth was slowly turning from an 'O' to a large smile. Without saying a single word, she suddenly leaped off the ground, over the nearby roof-top, and off in the distance. Poor Kaien was left there, wondering what she was in such a hurry for.

"Ichigo! I can't believe it! You're finally here!" she said to herself, though if you were paying attention as you passed you could probably hear her mumbling.

She knew exactly where she was going. The gates of hell opening wouldn't stop her from reaching the compound where her orange haired friend was staying. She passed Shinigami, accomplices, she even passed by Jushiro, who was walking towards the barracks, all without so much as giving a glancing acknowledgment. It didn't take long for her destination to come within her line of sight. Jumping over the front gate, through the trees, and finally through the front door of the only open room itself, she stood in front of the now standing Ichigo. She had obviously scared him, as the mili-second she entered the room he had jumped up from his position from laying on the mattress. His eyes were wide as he looked at his smiling friend.

"It's been awhile, Ichigo." said the small Shinigami, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear her.

Finally regaining his senses, and convincing himself that he wasn't seeing things, Ichigo was able to respond. "Rukia! See? I told you I'd be out of there in no time."

The raven haired woman just looked at him, which made Ichigo start to become slightly nervous. "W-What...? Is something wr-"

He was suddenly interrupted, as Rukia tackled him to the ground. A very funny sight, had anyone been watching, to see someone half the size of another take them down so quickly. They were both laughing, enjoying each others company for the first time in several months. Perhaps even longer, as they were never able to truly have a friendship in the Academy. So there we leave the two, catching up on the time that they had sorely missed.

* * *

><p><strong>BLEGH! I wanted to get this done Friday. In the morning, more specifically. Ah well, there's chapter 9 for you.<strong>

**Quick question for you all: What do you think about the aging in Bleach? I've always gone with the theory that they continue aging until they reach the point where they look like they did when they died. But what about you? There's several theories, I believe. I'm interested in knowing! So, either send me a PM or say it in your Reviews!**

**Oh, that reminds me. REVIEW! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys an' gals! It's been a little while, I think. Haven't really had a chance to work on this, due to going through internet wars with my family. :P At any rate, I'm back and ready for action! Err... Story type... Action... Thing. Okay...**

**Aftonen: I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that there was a 'AU' section! If I did know, I would have put it as that when I started! D: Is there a section which is classified as 'AU' on this site (and if so, how do I transfer my story to it)? Or do I just put it in the summary? Sorry. I'm a complete newbie here. :P**

**Debido: Imagine roughly 50 or so years before the main Bleach story line. All the evil stuff that Aizen did already happened. **

**KuroiTori-sama: I was hoping nobody would catch that... At any rate, those points are great! And, I also apparently missed the part when they show "old people" getting their assigned districts. Ah well, back to the drawing board. ^.^**

**G96 Saber: He is going to remember bits and pieces of his human life. I'm trying to make it a bit more realistic. No super-human levels of increased energy gains in this story! :P**

**I'm glad you guys liked that last chapter! I'm hoping this one turns out even better! Speaking of which, on with the show!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Joining the Big Leagues<p>

Decisions are, like it or not, a very necessary part of regular life. Some are bigger then others, having much more at stake; while others are basic, almost unnecessary. In Seireitei especially, choices were all that stood between life and death. Sometimes they were hidden behind a curtain, requiring someone to rip open the protective covering to find what it hid. When those situations arise it can be difficult to decide what to do, and even more so to know if your choice was the correct one. For our orange headed friend, there was no exception. As the blazing sun shone upon the large city, the crisp morning breeze blew throughout the various alleys. The bright, blue morning sky housed variously shaped, white clouds as they hovered above all that existed. Some ignored the sign that it was time to rise, while others were already busy bustling about to whatever business lay on their day. For the Shinigami there was no option, not even for those who weren't working full time yet.

Ichigo found that even in the early morning it was crowded, as he traversed the many streets that spread throughout Seireitei. There were many beings moving about, either walking or running or jumping towards their objectives. Some were like normal men, and if they weren't carrying their swords with them or wearing the classic black outfit Ichigo might have mistaken them for being normal. But then there were others who wouldn't get away in any country. Some were small as a midget, not even coming up to Ichigo's waist; While others were like giants, their massive frame towering above anyone whom they passed by. Ichigo himself was a head taller then most of those he passed, but compared to others he also appeared normal in size. For that, he was thankful. Unfortunately he still had that shaggy mop of orange hair that drew eyes towards him. Right now, he was seriously contemplating dye and colored eye contacts.

His destination? Why, that was not yet known even to him. His week would be up in another two days, yet he had still not decided on his course of action. At the very least, he had narrowed it down to the two squads that meant the most. Squad 13 and Squad 5 were the ones. It should have been so simple. He was sure it would have been when he first arrived. But now that he had time to think about it, he wasn't so sure. He wanted to be with Rukia, he knew that. But, alternatively, he didn't want anything to happen to his other friends either. Nothing was certain about Aizen. By all accounts, he was one of the nicest people Ichigo ever met. He was polite, calm, conversational, and assuring. And yet somehow, in some uncertain way, Ichigo felt that there was something wrong!

He stopped then. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he failed to realize he was now out of the populated area. There he stood on a small, green hill with a lone tree standing tall above it. The green leaves, accompanied with the swaying grass gave him a small sense of calm. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he sat down, leaning against the dark brown bark of the tree.

_'When did you start thinking so much?'_ he thought, as he rubbed a hand through his orange hair.

He had explained his dilemma to Rukia, but the midget didn't have much advice to give. How could she, when she wasn't getting the same feeling around Aizen as Ichigo was? But she had done the best she could, and had told Ichigo to follow his heart. As corny as that sounded, Ichigo felt that it might just be good advice, no matter how small it was. He just wished he could tell what his heart was telling him at the moment. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting the cool air blow through his bright orange hair. He let out another sigh, this one more peaceful then his other thanks to the calm environment. As the minutes went by, the calming breeze finally allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, his orange eyes opened as he let out a gasp. He wasn't on the green mountain anymore, the quiet scenery being replaced by a familiar blue tinted building. It only took a second for him to realize where he was as he let out a groan. He hadn't yet gotten used to being pulled into his inner-world like this, but he was no longer nervous about standing on a sideways building. He simply stared at the building across from him for a few seconds, before pulling himself up to a sitting position. In front of him stood Zangetsu, the black blade he was standing on not bending under his weight, if he even weighs anything at all; and his shadowed eyes observed his wielder with slight amusement. As his red tinted cloak waved in the wind, a smile crept onto his normally emotionless face. In all honestly, he enjoyed catching Ichigo when he was sleeping. It never ceased to humor him how he reacted. The Zanpakuto's slim sunglasses reflected light from an unseen sun when he tilted his head down slightly, the smile quickly leaving to leave a once-more emotionless appearance.<p>

"You found something funny?" Ichigo asked from his position, his right eyebrow raised in a questioning form.

Zangetsu blinked in mild surprise, as he hadn't expected Ichigo to notice. He didn't respond, preferring to just stare at his master. Nothing could be read on his face. No emotion, and no thought.

Ichigo held down a chuckle at his Zanpakuto's peculiar behavior. "Why'd you call me in here, anyways? I was trying to take a nap!" he complained.

Zangetsu said nothing as he motioned with his left hand towards the sky. Upon looking, it wasn't exactly the usual blue, clear sky that he had expected to see. Instead it was a sky filled with menacing thunderclouds that threatened to break into a fierce storm at any moment.

"You are troubled about something. That is why I called you." said the tall, black haired man.

"Ah" Ichigo muttered, looking down at his feet. He should have known that Zangetsu would know when he was thinking about something. He does live in his head, after all. He explained everything to Zangetsu, and the Zanpakuto was openly frowning by the time he was done.

"I see." he said, looking off towards the sky. "And, what do you think you should do?"

"I don't know! That's the problem!" Ichigo yelled, his head buried in his hands. "I don't even know if I'm right about Aizen or not."

The Zanpakuto let out a small sigh, and jumped down from the black blade he stood on. He silently walked over to Ichigo, stopping at his side. "Sometimes" he said, "you just need to do what you think is right, not what is the best."

Suddenly, his cloak expanded around him and he faded away. Seconds later Ichigo's inner-world faded as well, an endless darkness being left in its place.

* * *

><p>It was black like this for but a moment, when in a flash of light Ichigo was back on the calming hilltop where he was resting before. As was the usual case, not even a second had passed by during their conversation. It was their own little dimension, where they could talk for as long as they wished without worrying about the real world. A useful skill to have, but unfortunately it didn't exactly help him much in the current situation. The orange haired Shinigami leaned his head back against the tree, staring up at the distant clouds. Everything was silent, not even the birds were chirping as the wind died down to a low breeze. All to quickly, the silence was broken when the little sound of footsteps was heard.<p>

"Still haven't decided?" came a familiar voice, and Ichigo knew exactly who it was.

"Nah." was his reply. Rukia sat down next to him, also staring up at the clouds. Once more a silence overtook the hill, as the two merely enjoyed the peaceful moment. As would normally happen, yet again the silence was broken by footsteps. This time however, it was two pairs that were approaching, not just one.

"Well now, didn't think to see you two here!" came the friendly sound of Jushiro Ukitake's voice. Ichigo glanced over at him with a friendly smile, though his orange brows betrayed it when he slightly frowned. Since when did a Taichou not "think to see you"?

"Ukitake-Taichou!" exclaimed Rukia, "Kyoraku-Taichou!" followed by a quick bow. Ichigo's cautious frown turned into a curiously raised brow. He hadn't met this Kyoraku yet. From what Rukia had said, he was obviously a Taichou. He was wearing the regular Taichou Haori, along with a pink kimino with red flowers in the design, and a circular, tanish-brown, straw hat was on his head. He had facial hair that looked very unkempt, which Ichigo noticed was much like Zangetsu, and the hair on his head was tied down into a pony-tail with one bang hanging down on the left side of his face. Accompanying all this was a laid back posture, and his face had a lazy grin plastered across it.

"You're Ichigo, right?" said the Taichou. Before he could responde, the Taichou continued, "Pleasure to meet you! The names Shunsui!" His grin had broadened into a smile now, and Ichigo couldn't help but feel himself relax.

"So, you won't try to kill me if I call you by your first name?" The orange-head asked, being cautious so that he wouldn't end up with an early retirement.

"Of course not. What a silly question!" said Kyoraku with a chuckle, though he gave Jushiro a questioning look. When the white-haired man noticed it (which was only a few seconds after the fact) he let out a 'O' sound, and answered the unsaid question.

"Sensei gave him a harsh welcome when he arrived. I doubt he wants to upset any of us because of that." he said, glancing at Ichigo as if looking for confirmation.

Shunsui let out a laugh then, and spoke with clear humor in his voice. "Ah! So Yama-jii got to you then? It's no surprise you're a nervous wreck!"

Ichigo let out a small chuckle before muttering, "Yeah. He's scary for an old guy." He quickly received a sharp pain on his head from Rukia's fist.

"Don't be rude, Ichigo!" She scolded, though he barely feigned an apologetic expression.

"He's not even here! Besides, he is scary. And we all know that he IS old" he responded, making the "is" in a louder voice then the rest.

Shunsui and Jushiro both began laughing at the two's antics. "Well now. Rukia seems much like my Nanao." said Shunsui in between laughs. Indeed, back at the 8th squad barracks Nanao had often scolded him in a similar way, after he had made a similar remark.

"Nanao?" asked the orange-head, after he had dodged another of Rukia's strikes.

"Ah, you'll have to meet her someday. She's my FukuTaichou. I don't know what I'd do without her!" Shunsui said with a laugh.

Jushiro let out a sigh, and said "The 8th squad would be a mess, is what would happen."

"Hmm. That's probably true. Speaking about my Nanao, she should be here any moment." he said, with his hand on his chin in a mock thinking posture. True enough, they all felt a reiatsu presence approaching fast, and it did not feel pleasant. Rather, it felt angry. Very, very angry.

"Taichou!" was heard from a female voice, and she sounded quite annoyed.

"That'd be her!" said the lazy Taichou, almost with an apprehensive look on his face.

It was only a matter of seconds before she landed, glasses, brown book of death, and everything else. "Taichou! What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be at the barracks to-"

She was cut off by the older shinigami when he let out a loud exclamation. "Nanao! So good to see you! Did you meet Ichi- ow." And there she went with the book. There's a reason it's called the "Book of Death", after all.

"Don't change the subject!" barked the female FukuTaichou. She was very, very annoyed with Shunsui at the moment. She often wondered why he was always so difficult to deal with. For a brief moment, muffled laughter was heard, before another "whack"! Now there were two Shinigami wounded in action, one with dark brown hair and the other with bright orange hair. Both were gently rubbing the newly created mass on their heads.

"Nanao! Rukia!" Exclaimed Jushiro, "You two really should be more gentle. If you end up killing them you know what the SouTaichou will do!"

"Yeah, Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the short Shinigami, "You really should be mo-" Yet again, a loud whack was heard as Rukia practically pummeled Ichigo into the ground, comically creating a small crater with no orange hair to be seen. The reason being: Ichigo's head was now buried into the center of the newly created crater, giving the appearance of an ostrich attempting to hide from a potential predator. In this case, the relation actually makes sense.

Unseen by anyone, Nanao let a small smirk appear on her face. Her expression quickly turning serious, almost threatening, she turned to her Taichou. "So that's what I need to do, is it?"

"Ah." Shunsui took several steps back, hands raised in front of his face defensively. "I'll be going now!" And he was gone! Literally in a blink of an eye! The FukuTaichou let out a sigh, bowed to Jushiro respectfully, and quite quickly began chasing after her Taichou. She had only barely acknowledged Ichigo's presence!

Ukitake let out a very slight chuckle, before turning to Rukia. "Rukia, actually I'd like to speak with Ichigo alone for a few minutes. Do you mind?"

Though confused by the Taichou's request, Rukia quickly nodded her head. "No, I don't mind Ukitake-Taichou. I will go back to the barracks." The white haired Taichou thanked her, and she was gone, making her way to 13th squad barracks.

Jushiro smiled slightly at the fading silluhette, before turning back towards where Ichigo was. Jushiro's eyes suddenly widened and he let out an "Ack"! Ichigo was still stuck in the crater!

*Minutes later*

Ichigo slowly awoke, his vision blurry and his head aching. For a moment, he thought it was a hangover but he quickly eliminated that possibility. He hadn't been drinking! How could he have one! He felt the top of his head, and let out a yelp from the sudden pain that coursed through his head. He had a bump, and it wasn't going to go away any time soon. A voice suddenly caught his attention.

"Oh, you're awake!" it said. He couldn't quite tell who it was, but when he looked he saw the friendly smile of Jushiro. "You've been knocked out for awhile."

Ichigo groaned and sat up. He remembered seeing Rukia grab him by the head, then he saw the ground. After that it was all blank. He looked over to where he had been sitting, only to see a small crater. "Oh come on! Now that is going overboard!" He shouted, staring wide eyed at the hole in the middle. He now knew why his head hurt so much. Jushiro remained silent while the orange-haired soul went into a long rant about how he would "get her back" and what not. Well, at least for the first few seconds. When Ichigo had decided to start walking away, a quick clearing of the throat caught Ichigo's attention.

"I wanted to have a chat with you, Ichigo." the white-haired Taichou said. "About you're little problem." This completely grabbed Ichigo's attention.

"Alright. But what's there to talk about?" Ichigo asked, "It's probably nothing, right? I mean, he doesn't seem like a bad person." He was referring to Aizen, of course.

Ukitake frowned inwardly. "Not quite." He paused for but a moment, before he continued. "I told Kyoraku about it all. That's why we came to find you."

Ichigo nodded with recognition. He figured they came for more then just idle chit-chat. "You see," the Taichou continued, "Kyoraku has been rather suspicious of Aizen for a little while now. About fifty or so years ago, an incident occurred which eliminated six of the Taichous, two FukuTaichous, as well as the Head of the Kido Corps and his second. I can't give you the details, but one of the Taichous blamed Aizen for the entire thing. However, it couldn't be proved, so the Central 46 ordered the Taichous to be banished, imprisoned, or killed. Despite the lack of evidence, that Taichou was never one to blame another for his own crime. Ever since then, Kyoraku has always kept a close eye on Aizen."

Scowling ever so slightly, Ichigo asked, "So, I wasn't just imagining things?"

Jushiro shook his head, "Not entirely, at least. If Aizen is conspiring against Soul Society, he has been very good at covering his tracks." Ukitake paused, honestly wondering if he was really willing to ask this of Ichigo. He knew that there wasn't much of a choice anyways. No one else had caught on like Ichigo had. "Ichigo, would you do both me and Kyoraku a favor?"

Ichigo raised and eyebrow in slight confusion. He hadn't expected the Taichou to ask someone to do them a favor. Him of all people! "Sure. What is it?"

Jushiro didn't respond immediately. He still wasn't sure whether to ask or not. He had already brought it up though; there was no point in turning back now. "We would like you to be our observer. We want you to observe Aizen."

Ichigo blinked in surprise. Observe Aizen? Was he really asking him to spy on Aizen? "You're asking me to keep tabs on Aizen, and report to you when I find anything?"

Nodding, the Taichou confirmed what Ichigo thought. "Yes, we want you to get close to Aizen. Make him think you trust him, make him think you're on his side. I know it won't be easy, but you're the only person who has a chance."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Ichigo asked.

"For starters, join fifth squad. From there," the elder Taichou responded, "Just rise through the ranks. You shouldn't have any trouble with that, right?" This was sounding more and more like a mission briefing. Oh wait, technically it was. "And if you find out anything, Kyoraku and I meet nightly at the bar."

_'Drinking? That doesn't seem like something you'd do, Jushiro.'_ "Alright. I guess that solves my squad problem as well." Honestly though, he wasn't even part of a squad yet and he already had an "assignment"! Maybe becoming a Shinigami was more trouble then it's worth.

"Thank you. This will be a lot of help to us. And besides, even if we are wrong about Aizen, it still solved you squad choice! It's a win-win situation!" Ukitake responded with a smile. "Any ways, I better get going. It's not easy being a Taichou, after all!"

"Right. Later!" shouted Ichigo at Jushiro's quickly retreating form. He had a lot less to think about, and he supposed that Zangetsu was much happier with the sunny sky in his inner world. The sun was now much lower to the horizon then it was when Ichigo first arrived at the mountain. He would take his application to the fifth squad barracks in the morning. For the moment, he headed back to his room in the guest quarters. He took his time, enjoying the breeze that blew through the now empty streets. The sun had set when he finally reached the garden, a beautiful full moon rising in its place. Its white light illuminated the garden and the empty houses, giving the appearance of a forest village in the night. The reflection off the water saw briefly the shadow of the orange-haired man, before he entered the house. It's light brown walls and floors were now completely lacking in dust and dirt. Just because he lived in the stuff for the first part of his life in Soul Society, doesn't mean he wants to deal with it! Looking around briefly, Ichigo turned and sat on the small single seat bench that was on the porch. He sat there, simply enjoying sound of the river of water. Some workers had come during the week and installed a small fountain and a river. Ichigo was surprised at how fast they got the work done, but he figured Kido had something to do with it. For the rest of the night he sat there, dozing off a few hours after he sat down.

Zangetsu stood on his black blade as always, staring up at the clear blue sky of Ichigo's inner world. A small smile was on his face, and he looked at peace with the surroundings. _'Finally. It seems you're at peace once more, Ichigo.'_

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><p>*Next morning*<p>

The sun had long since revealed itself from the cover of the horizon. Just as the morning before, business went on as it always did. Ichigo stood in front of the Fifth Squad's barracks, piece of paper in hand. The only thing that remained was to go in, and give the Taichou it! Well, if it was any other squad, that would be the case most likely. But this is Aizen-Taichou we're talking about! _'Well, I'm here. I can't go back now, can I?'_ Swallowing the saliva that had generated in his mouth, he made his way towards the door one agonizing step at a time. Before he could even knock on the door of the large barracks, it opened suddenly, going outwards revealing the tall from of Ichimaru Gin, FukuTaichou of Fifth Squad.

His eyes closed to mere slits and a smile on his face, he spoke in his usual tone. "We were wonderin' when ya'd show. Welcome aboard."

_'Act friendly. Act friendly. Act friendly!'_ "Uh, thank you." Was all Ichigo could really get out. The reiatsu radiating off of this guy was intense. The creepy smile on his face wasn't exactly helping at all.

"Don't mention it! C'mon! I'll take ya' to Aizen." And off they went. Just like that he was in the "belly of the beast", so to speak. The barracks itself seemed normal enough, the entire compound being filled with two story buildings, all of which were connect to each other. They all formed alleyways, down of which several of the Squad's members were going about their daily businesses. The walls were a whitish color with the roofs being a light brown, the tiled floor a light blue. After some time of traversing the barracks, during which no words were spoken much to Ichigo's relief, they finally stood in front of the Taichou's room. It was the largest of all the buildings in the compound, standing at the far end of a courtyard of unknown purpose. Really, it didn't seem very important at all. The only thing was that there were at least ten doors on each wall. On the Taichou's building, there was only one door.

"Here we are!" commented Ichimaru, in an almost carefree voice. He opened the door and walked in, not even bothering to see if Ichigo was following. Follow him Ichigo did, however. The immediate passage behind the door was a staircase leading up to the second level. There wasn't much to see on the inside, a long hallway with a few sliding doors on both sides. At the end was the balcony, which they walked across for some few more minutes. Throughout the walk, several of the members stopped and greeted Ichimaru, before casting a cautious glance towards Ichigo. Finally they reached another door, and on the inside was Aizen. He sat behind his desk with a polite smile, a stack of papers laid out on the desk. Various bookshelfs were set up around the room, as well as a table and some chairs. The smile on his face only widened when he saw Ichigo standing in the room.

"Welcome to Squad Five, Ichigo."

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><p><strong>And I finally get it done! Once again, I'm extremely sorry for the long wait! Things just kept getting in the way, and when I finally did have time I just couldn't think of anything to type! And now that I'm done, I think this one was shorter then the last, but not necessarily worse (I hope!). Also, I'm thinking about going through the earlier chapters and redoing them a little bit. Just making them a little more advertising. Don't want people to read the original chapters and think "This story sucks" and move on! So, I might not have another chapter up for a little bit. Anyways, REVIEW! :)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Wow! I'm extremely sorry about the abrupt AWOLing this whole thing! It was not my intention to drop it like I did, nor is it my intention for the future. Life managed to smack me right across the cheek; and hard! I apologize for letting the dust gather on this story for so long. I hope that I can improve the amount of activity I put into this. I both love to put whatever creative energies I have into this (whenever I have them!), and also the warm, fuzzy feeling I get inside (corny!) when the positive reviews flow in! Thank you for having the patience to wait for a new chapter!**

** Lalaith Quetzalli: Don't worry! There will still be IchiRuki (though, this is only T for a reason, so don't expect some of the more... Err... Romantice stuff! ;P ) Byakuya will also be making an appearance in a chapter or so. I can't entirely guarantee when, as something might change in the future.**

**Once again, thank you all for the support while I typed up this story; and I'm truly sorry for the long wait! Now, how about I sweep the dust off this thing, and get the party started (again!)?**

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><p>Chapter 11: A New Journey! Ichigo Meets the Squad!<p>

Ichigo bowed politely in front of Aizen, gently placing a stack of four wrinkled papers onto the rectangular desk. Aizen didn't even bother to pick them up, simply peering at them through his square glasses; nodding to himself every so often, studying them each equally. Ichimaru stood in the far corner, leaning against the large bookcase that covered the back wall - piled with books on who knew what topics. His usual wide smirk was spread out across his face, and his eyes were closed to slits. The silence that surrounded the room was slowly getting to the orange-haired Ichigo, a haunting aura creeping all around. Or maybe that was just nervousness. He couldn't tell, either way.

Finally, Aizen cleared his throat, and, putting away the papers into a folder tagged "applications" and shoving it into one of the many drawers on his desk, smiled happily at Ichigo. "I'm truly glad you decided to be a part of my Squad, Ichigo. But, I must ask..." his face turned far more serious "...what made you pick us?"

An odd question. One of the things Ichigo had to answer on the application itself was his reasons for wishing to join this particular Squad. Aizen had read it - surely he wasn't just pretending to look it over to give Ichigo a hard time! So why was he asking that now? Not one to ignore a question asked by a superior, Ichigo let his confused scowl drop back into ... Well, a regular scowl. "I want to become strong."

"Why?" Aizen countered, his eyebrow raised and his voice calm.

"To protect my friends." Ichigo replied back. He had expected that question to come next. Or, rather, he thought he had.

Gin snorted quietly to himself, causing Ichigo's eyebrows to close together even closer. Aizen shook his head and sighed. "A noble reason. But surely you can be more detailed."

"More... detailed, Taichou?"

Aizen's collected demeanor never even hinted at dissipating. That helped to ease Ichigo's nerves, only slightly. The teachers at the Academy were never so lenient when you didn't understand what they were saying. The Captain did his best to explain, without giving the answer to what he was looking for away too easily. "Is there a reason why you want to protect your friends?"

"Of course there is!" Ichigo retorted, slightly annoyed that Aizen seemingly indicated there was no purpose in defending them. "They trust me, and I trust them. There isn't an enemy out there that would prevent us from defending each other; to the death, if needed!"

"Exactly."

Aizen's returning statement only made Ichigo more confused. What was the Captain saying? If Ichigo was more experienced, perhaps he would know. Clearly, judging by the overly exerted scowl on his forehead, he was not. "What is a Squad?" Aizen began continued, leaning against the wooden desk, his elbows resting on its surface while his hands folded in front of him. "Is it a group of people, or merely a few? Is it filled with tools designed for combat, or by individuals who need to think in order to survive? Ichigo, your friends aren't the only ones who will come to trust you. Your Squad, too, will come to rely on you in certain events, and you, in turn, will rely on them. You cannot become strong to simply 'protect your friends'. You must become strong to protect Seireitei itself."

The Captain leaned back in his chair, a signal that he was done. Ichigo stood with his mouth partly agape into a small 'o'. He truly hadn't thought of it that way. He should have, he told himself later. It was only the most obvious thing. The Shinigami's primary job, the mission that had first priority regardless of the situation, was to protect Soul Society. Failing to do so would also be failing as a Shinigami.

A low chuckle could be heard coming from the back of the room. "C'mon Ichigo. Don't be actin' all surprised. It makes ya' look like ya' gots a few nails loose."

Ichigo's jaw snapped shut when the words left Gin's mouth. Growing up in the worst district of Rukongai meant nothing; Ichigo was proud of his - for some - awe-inspiring appearance. He would _not_ be found looking like an idiot, at any time or place! Ichimaru's grin widened; and suddenly all of Ichigo's remaining confidence drained right out of him. _'Who am I kidding?'_ he pouted to himself _'This guy is way too scary.'_

Bowing respectfully, Ichigo acknowledged what his Captain had told him. "I understand, Taichou."

"Good. Now I think it's time you were showed where you will be staying. Gin, would you mind...?" Aizen asked, turning to face his Lieutenant.

"Sure. I'll make sure he gets nice n'settled."

"Thank you. Also, we are scheduled to have a training exercise in an hour. You aren't required to participate, but you could take the chance to get acquainted with the rest of our Squad."

"Understood. I'll be there." Ichigo responded easily, an act which surprised himself considering who was going to be giving him a mini-tour of the place. Taking a step back and turning to the side, Ichigo waited for Ichimaru to lead the way. The Vice-Captain grabbed a folded scroll from a tiny square, black-steel basket resting on the far side of the bookshelf and pushed it against Ichigo's chest as he walked by.

"You'll be needin' this." he said with his usual smile, what Ichigo convinced himself to be his normal appearance, before trudging off out the double-doors.

Stumbling all over in a horrible attempt to keep the rolled up parchment in his hands, Ichigo bowed once again, far quicker this time, and rushed off after Ichimaru. Aizen sat skulking over his desk, a large smile placed on his face. His glasses shone white in reflection of the burning sun shining through the window. "What an interesting man you are, Ichigo Kurosaki. Indeed, you remind me greatly of _that__ man."_ His smirk transformed into a devilishly large grin.

* * *

><p>A few minutes had passed by, and now the two Shinigami stood in the middle of a large, spherical room, with several hallways extending outward. Everything seemed just as it was everywhere else: White walls with wooden flooring and baseboards, and lanterns hanging low from the ceiling. Single person beds dotted the room, all having snow-white sheets and pillows on a black, hard-iron base with short, stubby legs; leaving just enough room underneath for one's personal belongings. Most were stacked on-top of each other as bunk-beds, those that were higher up had straps that you could hang any bags from. There must have been at least 100,000 of them, all spread out evenly along the large building. Not even counting the other squad quarters spread about the barracks.<p>

"And this is only the second floor." Ichigo muttered, more to himself than Ichimaru.

Gin turned with a snort. "We gots lots n'lots of people here. Aizen-Taichou's been talkin' about puttin' in another floor."

"A-Another?! Just how many people am I going to be meeting?!"

Ichimaru paused briefly, pretending to be trying to count by tapping his fingers together. Finally, he huffed a sigh and shrugged. "I don't have an idea. There's just too many to count."

"That's encouraging..."

"Anyway! This'll be your bunk."Ichimaru continued, waving towards a third-level bed along the wall. "That there map'll help ya' get around. I hope you ain't got no trouble readin' it!"

"I can read." Ichigo answered, his tone emanating agitation. Okay, maybe growing up where he did messed with his pride, after all!

"Hai, hai..." Gin started sarcastically. "You only got an hour before the git' together. Don't wonder off too far!"

And he was gone! Ichigo couldn't even catch him; he simply vanished into thin air. It was _Shunpo,_ a nifty little travelling-trick. Learning about it during his days in the Academy, Ichigo doubted the stories on how fast some people were at using it. He couldn't believe that it was faster than the eye could see. Now he knew better. "I really need to learn how to do that."

Having nothing to do, Ichigo decided to check out the barracks some more before heading to the field. Thankfully, it was marked on the map; otherwise, he realized, he'd have no way of knowing where the training was taking place!

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><p>An hour later, Ichigo stood among the extremely large group of people that made up 5th Squad. The field they had gathered at was a distance away from Seireitei, and even Rukongai. The large open area was quite spacious, and tall, green grass rose up to their ankles. A steep, rocky slope towered over the area, its lengthened shadow casting a darkened shroud over everything in reach, stretching out to a deep forest. Both the rock-line, and the tree-line, both reached out for great distances, creating a sort of valley between the two. In this "valley" stood the army of a Squad, like a black rain cloud hovering barely above the ground.<p>

On top the rocky slope, upon an ivory green plateau overlooking the masses stood Aizen, dressed in his usual attire, with Ichimaru at his side. From Ichigo's position somewhere in the middle of the group, he was worried that any words Aizen said would be lost on him. Thankfully, his worries were unfounded.

"Thank you all for coming." Aizen began, his voice echoing through the grassy plain. "We're going to be doing a bit of an exercise today."

Any rowdiness or absent-minded chatting done before came to an immediate stop, everyone's attention focused solely on their Captain standing over them.

"It's a simple game. The forest behind you will be our playing field. You will run, and attempt to hide; Gin will attempt to find you, or catch you." Ichigo swore he saw Ichimaru's smile widen even more. "When you are caught," the Captain continued, making a clear replacement of "if" with "when", "Return to the field and wait for the exercise to end."

Only the bravest, or the more arrogant, Shinigami were free from any form of unease. Admittedly, Ichigo was not one of them.

"Ready..." Ichigo gulped, as the thought _'We're going now?!'_ raced through his mind. "Start!"**  
><strong>

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><p>Ichigo flinched when yet another branch creaked and snapped under his weight. Skilled as he was, he still couldn't prevent himself from making a bit of noise. That's why he was as grateful as he could be for the amount of bumbling idiots around him, who sounded like they were knocking whole trees over in their flight. They would muffle out any noise Ichigo made.<p>

Still, the orange hair couldn't be helping him blend in.

One by one, Ichigo knew, his new squad-mates were being taken out by the Vice-Captain. Ichigo would take no chances. Every hint of footsteps he heard, and he dived for cover. During the most recent incident, he hid behind a tree and, as he was taught, lowered his Reiatsu as best he could. He held his breath, waiting for the sound to fade.

It didn't.

Suddenly, Ichimaru burst out "Gotchya'!", causing Ichigo to flinch. He thought he had lost, but thankfully he also heard a series of curses.

_'Another one down.'_ Ichimaru stood still, watching his underling walk away out of the dark city of trees, his usual grin spread on his face. But for an instant it dropped, as he looked out through squinted eyes into the distance. _'Coulda' swore I felt somethin'. _He continued to stare into the shadows, attempting to catch a glimpse of someone running away, or a passing sound. When nothing came, he sighed in defeat. '_Well, they're gone now. I'll catch 'em later.' _

As Ichimaru shunpo'd away, Ichigo let go of the breath he didn't realize he was holding, and wiped away a bead of sweat that had rolled down his forehead. _'That was too close!'_ When he thought he had been caught, he accidentally let his Reiatsu rise. Though he brought it back down quick enough, he was worried that Ichimaru had sensed him.

Little did he know just how close it really was!

As the day continued into dawn, visibility became far more difficult; allowing Ichigo to relax just a bit. The orange tinted rays shining down from the setting sun distorted the greenery's actual color, making the orange-haired Shinigami's - normally easily spotted - hair blend in much more. He was lucky to make it this far; especially considering Ichimaru had already moved into finding the officers.

Despite the extreme mass of squad mates that had gathered, the exercise had gone fairly quickly. Gin had let little time go by in catching his subordinates. Now, all that remained was the officers and a few other lucky soldiers - including Ichigo. And the number of "survivors" slowly dwindled lower and lower; until finally...

"Hey there, Ichigo!"

"ACK!" Ichigo jumped up from his hiding place behind yet another tree, not at all similar to the one he had hid behind earlier that evening, and whirled around to come face to face with none other than Ichimaru.

Promptly landing flat on his face not even a second later, due to sudden loss of balance.

"Game's over. Ya' should be headin' on back to the Cap'n, now." The lieutenant said with his classic grin, rubbing the back of his head. _'Thought so. His reiatsu's the same as what I felt earlier. Not bad at all.'_

Bounding back onto his feet, his eyes wide and index finger pointed out towards the Vice-Captain, Ichigo shouted "What was that for?! You almost made me cr-"

"Right, right. Off you go now!" Ichimaru interrupted, waving his hand in a shooing manner, before Shunpo'ing away, leaving Ichigo standing there pointing at... Well, nothing, now.

Turning his back from where the creepy-Shinigami had once been, his eyes closed, giving an annoyed **"Tch"** to show his discontent to no one in particular, Ichigo jogged back to the field. He knew to admit that he had done good, or better than most who had recently joined the 13 Guard Squads would have done; but even so, he wished he had lasted even longer - pushed himself ever farther.**  
><strong>

Another time, perhaps.

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><p>Aizen waited patiently on top the tall slope upon which he stood earlier that morning. Smiling pleasantly, he counted the subordinates as they left the large forest - and he knew each of them by name. As the day rolled on into evening, the frequency of people coming back to the field gradually decreased; by sunset Aizen knew only the Officers and a few select others remained.<p>

He wasn't surprised, unlike how most would have been, that Ichigo had yet to appear. Others would have assumed, despite the new-comers reputation, that he would have been caught long before now. But he hadn't. Ichimaru wasn't holding back, either! He had found, and "eliminated", 50 Squad members within the first 5 seconds. So it would come as a surprise to anyone that he had lasted this long. But not to Aizen.

The 5th Squad Captain had observed Ichigo, and had sensed an underlying power in him - a sort of unnatural ability that the orange-haired Shinigami didn't even know about. It went far beyond a Shinigami's powers, and it intrigued Aizen to no end.

Finally, just as the sun's most outer edges had sunk below the horizon, Ichigo left the tree-line. And a few minutes later, the remaining soldiers had joined him, followed by Ichimaru. Everyone, except Aizen and Gin that is, were thoroughly exhausted.

"That seems to be everyone." Aizen called out, raising his voice enough to wake the few who had actually fallen asleep. "I'm pleased by your progress and efforts. You should be proud of your accomplishments today. Get some rest. Dismissed."

As the large mass of black kimono's began to crawl away from the field, many groaning and some laughing, Aizen turned to Ichimaru. "Gin."

With a widened smile, Ichimaru Shunpo'd into the group, tapping certain Shinigami's shoulders with no apparent rhythm or systematic order. Ichigo almost jumped off his feet when his shoulder was tapped as well.

"The Cap'n wants to talk with ya'. Wait up a bit."

With that message, he left to find a few others. Not entirely knowing what to expect, a small, nervous bead of sweat rolled down the side of Ichigo's face, which he quickly wiped away. But he stayed anyways. Leaving _may_ have been interpreted as a suspicious action - though, honestly, he was simply being paranoid. When evening turned to dawn, only seven Shinigami remained on the field - three being Ichigo, Aizen, and Ichimaru.

"Thank you for staying. I'd like to personally congratulate you all. Your talent, in particular, was the main reason we had this little 'exercise'". The Captain began, looking at each of the four soldiers in front of him - all lined up in single file.

The man immediately to Ichigo's right was shorter than the other three, with dry, sickly white skin contrasted by pitch-black hair combed back neatly, with a small pony-tail in the back. To Ichigo's left was a dark-skinned woman, skinny but with chocolate-brown, fluffy hair curling out in every direction. To her left was a very large, imposing ape of a man, tanned with bulging muscles, but with hardly any hair at all. He towered above everyone else, and could have easily been considered a giant.

"What is this about, Captain Aizen?" the pale man to Ichigo's right started, a scowl rivaling Ichigo's own on his face. He was staring at the ground, almost as if considering what to say next, before looking back at the Captain. "What do you mean that we were the reason for it?"

The smile never left Aizen's unchanging face when he answered. "You four showed the greatest skill, and the most potential. The purpose of this test was to bring out that ability; and it succeeded." He paused, looking at each of them through his square glasses, before continuing. "Normally, there are examinations and tests that are required, but I have decided to improvise. Terakado Kuniaki."

"Yes sir." The giant replied, his voice deep and bellowing.

"You have been given the position of 15th seat. Endoso Yoshe(female), you have been given the position of 11th seat. Ichigo Kurosaki, you have been given the position of 9th seat. Someya Jyoji(paleguy), you have been given the position of 7th seat. Congratulations to all of you. You should be extremely proud."

Each person had a different response - Terakado seemed unaffected, Endoso couldn't help but leap up and down in approval, and Someya nodded his head and bowed, smirking slightly - perhaps because he was higher ranked than Ichigo, who had rumors circulating of him being a supposed "genius".

For Ichigo, however, he didn't quite know what to think. The first thought that came to mind was _'Why?'. _Why was he chosen for this position? Aizen had said it was due to talent, but was there another reason? Ichigo hid his concerns behind his usual scowl, hoping to avoid attracting the Captain's attention. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Each of you get a free round of drinks at the tavern of your choosing, my treat. Enjoy yourselves." Aizen finished with his usual smile, not at all different from the one he usually had. Ichigo couldn't help but wonder if he was really enjoying himself, or if that was just a mask. Casting all other thoughts aside, Ichigo simply wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. So when Aizen dismissed them and Shunpo'd, along with Ichimaru, away, Ichigo simply started walking away.

He briefly heard Endoso trying to grab a date with Someya.

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><p><strong> Research and Development Institute<strong>

Screens flashed with various information of different topics. Whether it be Reiatsu levels, or the current status of a complicated experiment, or whatever. All was quiet except for the tap-tap-tapping of buttons - the result of an unspoken rule to leave those who are researching alone. To outsiders, it would clearly appear a large, unorganized mess, but these people knew exactly what they were doing - and had developed a certain system because of it.

That peace was broken at times, however. Suddenly, one of the many screens flashed from blue to red, an intricate series of text rolling down in front of the user's face. Rin Tsubokura's eyes went wide with both surprise and shock - complimented by a gasp as he fell back in his chair.

"A-Akon! Akon, come quickly!" he shouted, disturbing most - who looked over at him annoyingly.

3rd Seat of the 12th Squad, Akon, walked in lazily. "Huh? What's wrong, Rin?"

"You need to see this! It's an emergency!"

The horned Shinigami frowned, and walked over to see what all the fuss was about. Upon a quick review of the information displayed upon the computer, he understood immediately what his partner was so upset about. "No... It can't be..."

The other scientists in the room glanced at each-other nervously, none having actually knowing what was going on.

"Get this report to the Head-Captain. Immediately."

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><p><strong>So that's the first chapter in... What has it been, a year now? It's shorter than the other ones, mostly because I haven't been doing any writing for a while and am a tad rusty - but also because I didn't want this chapter to drag on for too long. For those who are questioning Ichigo's early promotion, it'll be explained next chapter. I have a request as well: Bleach has so many characters, as do most Manga, that there are many different personalities in them. I'm fairly confident in getting them right, but if you notice me slipping with anyone, please tell me and I'll work to fix it. Thank you!<strong>

**Looking forward to your Reviews, I hope you liked this chapter! Glad to be back!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! I meant to update sooner (honest!), but my Birthday came along a while back and so I've been enjoying the many tributes to my awesomeness (A.K.A: Presents :D ). I know, I know... That's hardly an excuse! But, at least I didn't say a black cat crossed my path or some crap like that. I know how well that works! Anywho, I kicked myself in the arse and got back to work. Hopefully won't happen again. :P**

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><p><strong>ImmortalSheep: Yeah... I hate to admit it, but I did as well. Thankfully, not too much had been done before, so it didn't take long to remember!<strong>

**cmcwiki: Woops! Thanks for bringing that to my attention! (Though, it's kinda sad that I didn't notice.) I have a bit of a vision problem, which makes it hard for me to tell where the dialogue moments are. My solution was to bold it while I'm typing, then unbold it before posting. Must have forgotten this time. I fix'd it. :D**

**KuroiTori-sama: Hell yeah!**

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><p><strong>Next chapter, here we go!<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. The bottle in my laundry room, however, is mine. No touchy.<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 12: Calm Before...<strong>

To say Ichigo was confused would be an astonishing understatement. Prideful, yes - but all the same his thoughts were clouded by a distant uncertainty. The most prevalent object circling through his mind was simply the word "why". _Why_ had Aizen promoted him to an Officer class so soon? _Why_ had he acted, from the beginning, like he had expected the game that had ended earlier that evening to have the result it did? So many more questions like those flooded his brain, and so few were given answers that were logically believable.

The sun had long been set by now; the heavens revealing their tiny, yet beautiful and bright stars - though, how on earth a place like the Soul Society even had stars was a mystery. The lonely halls of never-ending brick and plaster wore a midnight-blue tint, though the vacancy experienced was contradicted by distant cheers and poorly attempted, and clearly influenced by drink, songs.

Ichigo felt the need for a glass of sake himself.

The alley he was in separated out into two pathways, one heading straight while the other made a sharp turn to the left. While the path continued on for what seemed like miles, the opening on the side flowed out into a sort of miniature village, the structures within being made the same as the walls surrounding; the most eye-attracting building being a moderately-sized, single story bar. The entrance, a slider-door that was kept open for free-entrance, sang of joyful banter, and the bright light of a flame lit the area from inside. Above, a large sign written in rust-red paint told the name.

It was at this sign that Ichigo stared, head slightly cocked to the side. _'Fish Drinks? What kind of name is that...?'_ Shrugging his shoulders, thinking to himself that the overt cheering and laughing inside advised that the place couldn't be _that_ horrible, he entered. The change in lighting instantly caused him to squint his eyes almost closed, but he still managed a decent look at the place.

Immediately upon walking in, the narrow, one-man-only passage led to a wide, square room. Bearing a great deal of resemblance to a old-western saloon, it had dark oak circular tables - usually with four short chairs each, but some only had two - spread about the room in an unorganized pattern, with much longer, rectangular tables closer to the walls. The wall farthest from the door had a long bar, behind it were a row of four shelves, all holding different assortments of wines and sake, with a small door off to the side leading into an unlit room. Dark green wallpaper - clearly old judging from the cracks breaking up all over it, and the fact that in some places it peeled away to reveal the brown, moldy wood behind it - stretched over the walls, small, single candle lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Four wooden beams, all worn with age, shot up from the floor to the roof in different sections of the building.

All around, men and women danced around happily, or simply sat in their chairs having a friendly chat with their comrades - almost all of them were Shinigami. A patron behind the counter, herself also wearing the standard uniform, waved at Ichigo as he walked up.

"Welcome to Fish Drinks, home to the greatest collection of freshly caught Koi!" she said with a polite smile. Ichigo couldn't help but notice the lack of explanation as to where the Koi came from. "Can I get anything for you today?"

As he sat down on one of the empty stools at the bar, Ichigo suddenly became very much aware that he had no way of paying for anything. His memory flashed to back to after the test earlier, where Aizen had said "Each of you get a free round of drinks"; but how would Ichigo prove he had said that? The devilish smile always gracing the Captain's features suddenly made much more sense. He really had no intention of paying, after all!

"That bad, huh?" the waitress said, noticing Ichigo's slumped shoulders and his head slammed against the wooden counter. Suddenly, she perked up and waved excitedly at the entrance. "Oh! Hisagi! Welcome!"

"Yo!" came the cool reply from back at the entrance, causing Ichigo to look back with _almost _a surprised stare. Sure enough, Hisagi Shuuhei was walking in, a mirror image of how he looked when Ichigo last saw him during the real-world mishap. The only differences were his clothing, as now he wore a Shinigami uniform rather than the Academy uniform, and three long, painful scars running down past his right eye, a momento from the Hollow that had attacked. If it hadn't been for the four of them, Hisagi would probably be dead right now. "Wait. You're... Ichigo, aren't you? Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo raised a brow, surprised he would be remembered. It had been a while since they had last spoken. "Hisagi! Been a while." He replied with a smile. "You actually remember me?"

"Hard not to, with that hair of yours." Hisagi replied, smirking.

"Whoa, whoa, wait. You're Ichigo? The kid who everybody is saying is some kind of genius?" The bartender asked as she looked over Ichigo almost in disbelief.

"Genius?"

"Yeah, that's him." Hisagi answered while taking the stool next to Ichigo, having already noticed his confused scowl. "First round's on me."

Briefly, the waitress glanced between the two, the thought _'OMG it's Hisagi and Ichigo at the same table!'_, or, rather, something along those lines running through her mind, before she smiled and grabbed a bottle, pouring them both a cup of clear liquid. "There you go! Nice'n fresh."

Ichigo sniffed it cautiously, still bearing in mind the name of this particular establishment, before taking a sip. Despite it almost running instantly down the wrong side of his throat, the taste was nothing like a fish; so with the clinking of his and Hisagi's glass, both Shinigami downed their respective drinks. After sighing contently, Ichigo turned to Hisagi.

"So what have you been up to? Haven't seen you since that time in the Real World."

Hisagi blinked once, before chuckling and scratched at his scars. "Yeah, that was a while ago. Still gives me nightmares." He mumbled, images of the giant hollow killing two of his closest friends flashing vividly in front of his eyes. Despite his serious, cool demeanor back then, the loss hit him hard. "I graduated a few weeks after that. Joined 9th Division, under Captain Kaname Tousen. Promoted to 12th-seat, too, though I've only done a few field missions."

"Really?" Ichigo asked, "Is it common to be promoted so soon after graduation?"

"Only if you were in the Advanced Class. If not, it takes a while. Why?" Hisagi replied, taking another whisk of his drink. Ichigo sighed, not really giving much of a response - leaving Hisagi to shrug and move on to a different topic. "You know, things have been pretty quiet lately. Even in the Real World, everyone is reporting all-clear. It's like the Hollow have vanished."

"What? Where have they gone?"

"Who knows? Most of my Division is glad they're gone, but I don't know..." He trailed off, scowling into the clear depths of his sake.

After a brief silence, Ichigo asked "When did it start?"_  
><em>

"Last week. A patrol even saw a group of Hollow simply disappearing. Into thin air!" Hisagi replied briefly making a short waving motion into the air.

"Does anyone know why?" Ichigo asked again, now leaning on his elbows over the counter, intently looking at Hisagi.

"Not a clue." Hisagi answered, scratching the back of his head. "I just hope it's not like what happened in the Human World. Those things brushed right past our sensor squad."

"No way! Soul Society has much better protection than that, why do you think they've never been able to get in before?" Ichigo said, more-so trying to convince himself than anything else.

"I know." Hisagi muttered, "Listen, just keep your guard up, alright? I don't know what, but I have a feeling something's up."

Ichigo gave a weak smile. "Right."

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><p><strong>The next morning;<strong>

**Unknown location - some distance out of Rukongai**

A four man patrol of Shinigami from 3rd Division walked, in a diamond formation, through an empty field, nothing but dark, green grass and the occasional bush to break the flat plain. They moved in silence for a long while, so that their sandals sounded like rocks pounding on the ground below. The dull quiet finally got the best of the left guard, a short man with spiky, black hair stretched with a yawn, before voicing the many complaints going through his skull.

"Man, why did the _Captain_ send us out here, anyways?" he grumbled, "It's not like there's even anything going on!"

"Katsuchi..." Spoke a blond-haired woman, taller than all the others but as skinny as a bone, with an agitated aura. "Captain Ojutsui is following her orders, too. Pointless as it may be."

"Kuru's right. And keep it down!" instructed the lead, an older man with short, brown hair, as he suddenly gripped the hilt of his sword. "Did you hear that?" The fourth Shinigami, long, black hair reaching down to the top of his shoulders, remained quiet.

"You're getting paranoid." Katsuchi said, looking around and seeing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. None of the others saw or heard anything, either. "Come on, let's go back already. It's getting dark, Lakatsu."

"It's getting... Dark?" Lakatsu thought aloud, before realization overcame him. _'It's only morning.'_ He looked up briefly, and screamed "Get out of the way!" before leaping forward. The others weren't so quick, being smashed into the ground as it shattered into a crater, and killed instantly. A blood curdling howl filled the air, as a giant Hollow, with a bulky, blood-red body and six thrashing vines sticking out of it's back. It's head resembled a sort of mutant frog. '_A Hollow? But, how?!'_ Lakatsu thought, as he drew his Zanpakuto out of it's dark-brown sheath.

He had just enough time to dodge several strikes made from the Hollow's elongated fingers, by somersaulting over one and using it as a foot-rest to jump away from the others. Before he could touch the ground, a vine swooped down from above and _almost_ succeeded in swatting him back to the ground. Almost, because Lakatsu sliced through it with his sword, creating a diagonal, bloody wound for the Hollow to nurse.

When he landed behind the Hollow, he gripped the hilt of his sword with two hands. **"Drown thy enemies..."** The Shinigami began, intending to utilize his Zanpakuto. But he never got the chance. With a grunt, Lakatsu realized that a large, white talon, about the size of an Elephant's tusk, was sticking through his chest from his back, red with his own blood.

_'What...?'_ He looked back, only to see another Hollow, just as large as the first. It laughed mercilessly, then howled into the sky, drawing the now-dying Lakatsu's attention to a horrible revelation. It wasn't just one Hollow that was howling. _'Im-impossible...'_ He thought, coughing up blood when the Hollow tossed him aside. _'How could... this happen?! Damn.__'_

The last thing he saw before darkness overtook him, were multiple black holes opening up in the sky.

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><p><strong>First Division Barracks; <strong>

**Captain's Meeting Hall**

"It's good to see everyone made it. Now the Taichou's meeting can begin." Stated Head-Captain Yamamoto, sitting comfortably in his chair at the end of a lengthy, wide chamber.

Behind him, to his left, stood his second, Vice-Captain Chojiro Sasakibe, as collected as ever, in his custom made Jinbaori. A line of white robed individuals stood side-by-side in two groups, one on the left and one on the right. 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th Squad Captains all waited to get what they came to do underway. Tenth Squad had lost its Captain some time ago, and a suitable replacement had yet to be selected.

"Captain Ojutsui, your report?"

"Yeah, yeah..." A feminine voice responded, with an edge of _I really don't want to be here. _

Ojutsui Takara, current Captain of Third Squad, stepped forward. She was of average height, but had a proud stature, holding her head up high - and, incidentally, giving everyone a decent look at her agitated frown. She had peach skin and chocolate-brown hair held in a pony-tail, by a bright red hair-tie, that fell down to her mid-back. She wore the standard Shinigami outfit underneath her Captain's haori.

"Few days ago we received reports of loud noises and screaming around the 4th District of Rukongai. Yesterday I sent a group down there to investigate." She paused, crossing her arms over her chest. "They never came back."

As Takara returned to her place, Yamamoto looked to Soifon, who promptly stepped forward.

"As per instructions, I released an investigation team under Sixth-seat Sakagami Kenzo to search for 3rd Squad's soldiers, or discover their fate. They reported that there appears to have been a battle at a location along the route the group would have taken, but no bodies could be found. However, there were large amounts of blood on the scene, indicating casualties." Soifon reported. Though she became a Captain only a short time ago, she already had a reputation for being strict, to-the-point, and a workaholic.

"We can assume they are dead, then. But, a battle?" Aizen spoke up, frowning. "Did the Research Institute not know of this?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi replied immediately, defending his position. "We detected nothing at the time of this event."

"Figures!" Kenpachi Zaraki scoffed. It surprised everyone that he had actually decided to come. Usually, he was far more interested in napping or looking for someone to fight. "Can't trust the eggheads for anything. Probably wouldn't even notice if I knocked down their front door!"

"Assuming..." Mayuri retorted with a deadly smile, "...an imbecile like you could even _find_ our front door."

Zaraki laughed. "Wanna try? And after, I'll bring the entire place to the ground!"

"**Enough!**"

The air pressure in the room intensified tenfold for but a moment, but those few seconds were enough to cripple an army. Yamamoto made the wise decision to stop the argument before it got too violent - he had to deal with that headache enough times already! Thanks to thousands of years in his position, he learned that raising his Reiatsu to incredible levels was _usually_ enough to put the children back in line.

"Captain Kurotsuchi. Your report." The Head-Captain demanded, albeit far less menacing than he was mere moments ago.

"Hai. There is a good reason why we did not know of this event." Mayuri began. If he was fazed by Yamamoto's actions, he didn't show it. The only response he got from Kenpachi was a quick, discontented "HMPH". "Yesterday we learned of an anomaly within the Dangai. The specifics are unimportant, and I doubt any of you would comprehend it anyways. The point is, this discovery led to the revelation of several other issues that had remained completely undetected, starting exactly one week ago."

"Could it also be related to the Hollow disappearing?" Byakuya Kuchiki, stoic as ever, asked from his position.

"No connection has been made other than the starting time. The anomalies themselves are no issue, and will be easily solved. However, the fact that we were unable to see them is the real issue. I investigate personally, and found that it was not limited to the Dangai. Our sensory equipment is unable to detect anything beyond the walls of Seireitei." Mayuri replied. The other Captains could practically feel his anger rise as he explained the problem. "We are completely blind to anything beyond our walls."

"In other words," Ukitake interrupted, "it could have been anything that attacked that squad, and we wouldn't know."

"Precisely."

"That's not good!" Kyoraku chuckled, still smiling casually behind his hat. "I'm assuming this problem of yours isn't just a malfunction of some kind."

"It's sabotage!" Mayuri blurted out, before the scientist started ranting. "It is absolutely unacceptable! _Somebody_ is denying the purpose of MY inventions. It's unacceptable! _Unacceptable!_"

"Keh." Kenpachi sneered. "One of your creeps probably goofed up."

"I _will_ find out who is responsible, I assure you." Mayuri hissed.

"That would be best." Aizen started, preventing the bloodthirsty Captain from needling Mayuri further. "If someone is preventing your equipment from working properly, they are likely preparing something nefarious."

"Very well." Yamamoto said, his voice like a commanding trumpet. "Captain Kurotsuchi, you will focus your efforts on discovering the source of your Institute's issues, and solving them. We can not afford any surprises! I want all Captains to alternate in sending regular patrols in and around Rukongai. Captain Soifon, you will ensure there are no plans for revolts or rebellion. Dismissed!"

As the Captains filed out of the room and headed along to their respective barracks, Kyoraku and Ukitake kept a slower pace behind the rest. "Do you think Aizen is responsible?" Ukitake asked in a hushed voice, when the rest of the Captains were out of sight.

"Don't know. Maybe. He seemed surprised enough when Mayuri revealed his little dilemma." Kyoraku replied with a bemused smile.

"I don't think 'little' would be the best word to describe it. But, you're right. I think Aizen is as in the dark about this as we are." Ukitake murmured thoughtfully.

"Doesn't hurt to be cautious. Well! I need to be getting back to the barracks before-"

"CAPTAIN!" A very pissed off Nanao shouted from the distance.

"-that happens." With a wave, he shunpo'd away, leaving a chuckling Ukitake to _walk_ back to his barracks. What neither of the veteran Captains knew, was that the very subject of their brief conversation was listening to every word they said.

_'How interesting.'_

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><p><strong>Thirteenth Squad Barracks;<strong>

**Garden Courtyard**

There was something eerily calming about the garden Jushiro Ukitake kept in the middle of the barracks. From the large fruit tree in the middle - upon which hung ripening Mangoes -, to the quaint, bubbling Koi pond and the trimmed, green bushes surrounding it - the courtyard alone was reason enough for anyone to join 13th Squad. Everyone was friendly and helpful, earning the squad a reputation for being the most hospitable - granted, the fact that every member was always smiling became a tiny bit creepy.

It was on this peaceful garden that Rukia gazed, as she sat on a wooden walkway covered over by the Barrack's rooftop edge. Between Byakuya's attempts at teaching her how to be a noble, and the workload of the life of a Shinigami - not helped at all by her own workaholic tendencies -, the short Kuchiki was a bit overwhelmed. It was a reoccurring habit of hers to simply relax on the edge of the courtyard and think about as little as absolutely possible.

She couldn't help but to worry about her orange-haired friend, however. Ichigo had been on her mind more and more ever since he had graduated from the Shino Academy. Even though she had saw him just the other day, she was still anxious about his safety. Was he alright? How was he doing? He didn't get himself into trouble, did he? Could he have possibly gotten killed, already?

At first, Rukia wondered why she was so worried about her friend. She never was before, she knew Ichigo could take care of herself. After a while of attempting to logically figure things out, she eventually chalked it up to her stress getting to her mind. There was no other explanation, after all. At least, not that Rukia could think of. Still, she tried not to become too worried. That wouldn't help her at all!

As Rukia sighed, a pitiful attempt to calm herself down, a very familiar voice broke her out of her mind-war. "Hey, Rukia!"

She shot up, eyes wide as dinner plates! Rukia didn't even notice Ichigo's arrival, even when she was thinking about him. And she was embarrassed, too. Fortunately for her, Rukia caught and, in her own opinion, expertly came up with an excuse for her reddened cheeks. Also fortunately, she didn't need to worry. Ichigo hadn't even noticed. It did make her wonder about one thing, however...

Why was she flustered at all?

Ichigo had always been good at sneaking up on people. And he didn't even do it on purpose! That was one thing Rukia had definitely learned. Why was she affected by it now? What made it different? She honestly couldn't tell.

"O-Oh, Ichigo." She stammered, "I... I didn't see you there."

"Really? I've been yelling your name for the last five minutes." Ichigo responded, scratching his chin.

Rukia's blush returned in full force for two reasons. The first was, she genuinely was embarrassed that she had been so much in thought to not even hear her name being called for, apparently, five whole minutes. The second reason...

"You idiot! How obnoxious can you get?!" She scolded, which made for an amusing sight to a pair of onlookers, who couldn't help but notice Rukia having to look almost straight up in order to make eye-contact. She was still growing, but Ichigo had hit way too many growth-spurts.

"Wha-what?" Ichigo blinked, a confused scowl on his brow. "What'd I do now?"

Rukia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. As clueless as Ichigo was, he was partially right. What _had_ he done? They both were obnoxious, even during the early Academy days. She hadn't meant to snap, but she was already tired, and annoyed, from non-stop working. It didn't help that her brother's nobility had started to rub off on her, causing her to start viewing acts of immaturity in a slightly different light.

"Sorry, it's nothing." Rukia replied with a huff.

Now Ichigo was really confused. "Uh... Huh? You're acting weird today, you know that?"

Not the best thing to say. All the effort Rukia had put into _not _pounding Ichigo into the ground, in an instant, were thrown away.

And she pounded him into the ground.

***Seconds later...***

"What the hell..." Ichigo muttered, rubbing a swollen bump that had surfaced through his hair. "This is what I get for visiting."

For Rukia's part, she didn't get away uninjured either - as she subtly nursed her now aching knuckles. If anybody ever said Ichigo had a soft head, they'd be lying. "What did you want, anyway?" she asked arms folded, both agitated _and_ attempting to hide the fact that her hand was almost as red as Renji's hair.

"I just wanted to chat, see how things were. We haven't had any time to catch up until now." he replied. It was true, too. Though they had spoken, from the time they entered the Academy everything was just too hectic. Now that they were both Shinigami, the brief periods where they could actually _talk_, rather than a simple "hello", would be even more seldom.

It was life, and Ichigo and Rukia both knew it.

"I see." Rukia said, now berating herself once again for losing her temper. But before either could speak further, another voice interrupted them.

"Yo, Kuchiki!"

Rukia knew that voice, the one belonging to her Vice-Captain - Kaien. Ichigo, however, was left wondering who the person calling was. Both groaned silently, however, that their so-called "period where they could actually talk" had, like it had many, many times in the past, been interrupted. When they both turned to look at the newcomer, Ichigo froze - so, to, did Kaien, stopping in mid-stride. As Rukia had noted on her first day, Kaien and Ichigo resembled each other to the point of mistaking one for the other. Almost twins, but with a few differences that could only be noticed after studying them side-by-side for a while.

The two stared at each other, shock evident on their faces. Rukia, at one point, could have sworn she heard some kind of explosion in the distance. For a short while, an awkward silence filled the courtyard, but finally the two were able to compose themselves.

Ichigo was the first to speak, muttering "Do you even realize how weird this is?" to Rukia, earning a silent nod.

Kaien blinked a few times, also rubbing his eyes afterwards, to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. When he was positive he _wasn't_ suffering a side-affect of the sake he had drunk earlier that morning, he was able to put together who, exactly, he was looking at. Rukia gave him a good enough hint at their first meeting, after all.

"You're... Ichigo Kurosaki, right?" he asked, surprising Ichigo.

"Uh... Yeah. Do... I know you?" Ichigo questioned in turn, earning a good hearted laugh from Kaien.

"No, no. You don't. Kuchiki here thought I was you when she joined 13th." He chuckled again at the memory. "I put two-and-two together. The name's Kaien Shiba, Vice-Captain under Captain Ukitake."

"Ah..." Ichigo said, an expression hinting at recognition or realization on his features. Rukia was almost shocked that, as it appeared, Ichigo knew who he was talking to. Though, considering Kaien himself was renowned as a genius, having graduated in two years, it wasn't surprising that even Ichigo, who wasn't best known for paying attention to such details, would have at least heard of him.

"...I have no idea who you are."

"R-Really...?" Kaien muttered, both he and Rukia sporting sweat drops upon the back of their heads. "A-anyway, the Captains just got back from one of their meeting. Squads will be getting orders soon, so we're rounding up everyone. Kurosaki, you should probably be back at your barracks, right?"

"Oh crap!" Ichigo exclaimed, rushing off towards the exit of 13th Division's barracks. "I'll catch you later, Rukia!"

"Y-yeah. Bye, Ichi...go." She replied, not really getting an opportunity to say anything before he left. How was he always so fast?! She sighed, smiling at her old friend's antics, a smile that quickly dropped when she saw Kaien's serious face.

Before she could even ask, he was already answering her curious glance. "Captain says it's serious. He'll explain everything."

With a nod, Rukia followed Kaien as they ran to meet Ukitake, all the while wondering what her Captain could have learned at the Captain's Meeting that was a big enough issue to be considered "serious". During her experience in the Squad, she learned quickly that _nothing_ fazed a Captain. Especially not one as powerful as Jushiro Ukitake! Rukia felt a gradually expanding sense of unease build up. Once again, her thoughts returned to Ichigo.

Silently, she muttered to herself. "Stay safe, Ichigo."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile;<strong>

**Unknown location, short distance out of Rukongai;**

**Old, abandoned Shack;**

It was dark, that was all there was. Even when the front panel slid open, revealing a still fresh sunlight blazing above, the inside of this building was black, cold.

Menacing.

He could feel it, even while he struggled to maintain consciousness. Even above the pain he felt in his stomach. Something purely monstrous was here.

_'Where is here?'_ he had asked himself numerous times. His team was gone, he couldn't move, and for the first time since he had become a Shinigami...

Lakatsu felt fear.

Hot sweat dripped down his face, and he could barely make out a single figure standing in the now lit doorway. The sun blocked his features, but his silhouette showed a thin man, arms hanging limply at his sides.

"Who are..." Lakatsu began, coughing a bit of blood in his attempt to speak. It was a miracle he wasn't dead. "...Who are you?"

"Me...?" The figure began, his voice deep, commanding, and for a moment Lakatsu thought he heard it echoed. His voice itself caused Lakatsu's wound on his stomach to flare. The man now stood before Lakatsu, darkness still somehow covering every inch of his face and body. "I..." He continued, bending over slightly as if studying the Shinigami's face.

"I am death. And you will be my scythe."

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><p><strong>Yay! Chapter done! Once again, sorry for the late update. At the least, I want to be doing a chapter a month. Anywho, things are finally heating up! Setting up the background is finished, and now my own plot can truly begin! I'm actually excited to get writing, and to learn what you all think as I go on. So without further ado, review!<strong>

**I'll see ya' soon!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everybody, it's me again with the longest, craziest, and all-over-the-place-iest(?) chapter of Born a Shinigami yet! In fact, it's so good I just had to write it twice! ...Well, that may have been because I accidentally deleted it when it was about half-way done; but who cares, it's done now!**

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><p><strong> AnT - D'aw... Thanks! That really means a lot. :)<strong>

** ninjapanda - Aizen's plan, and what happens next, you'll have to wait to find out. Ichigo's sisters ****_may_**** be making an appearance much later, but that depends on how everything turns out. As for the issue with Izuru, I'm aware of that little mistake. Back then I wasn't sure what writing style I wanted to use. I won't be making that mistake in the future. :P Thanks for making sure I knew about it, though! :D**

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><p><strong>Nothing else for me to say, really. So sit back, relax with your bag of popcorn (Or candy!), and enjoy the next chapter! Here we go!<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Bleach. Used up the bottle in my laundry room, so I don't own that either. I'm so pitiful. :(<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 13: ...The Storm<strong>

As Rukia ran behind Kaien towards the Captain's Office, her mind was running like mad through all the possibilities. Kaien hadn't been very Vice-Captain like, and had refused to give any information until they could speak with Captain Ukitake. That, of course, was driving the short, raven-haired Shinigami absolutely insane.

The other Shinigami were all already rushing out the barracks, apparently having been given their orders already. Kaien had said that the Captains had "just gotten back", and they "would be getting orders soon". But, knowing Kaien, he_ probably_ got side-tracked on the way - meaning they were _probably_ late.

Very, very late.

Which, in turn, explained why they were currently running instead of walking. Despite knowing this, Rukia made a point to give Kaien a piece of her mind later on, in the event it turned out they _were, _actually, behind schedule.

You didn't think Ichigo was the only one to suffer her wrath, did you?

The large, wooden double-doors came into view around a sharp corner. Jushiro was a modest man, and he would have never agreed to such an extravagant design - but apparently the Captain whom the barracks were originally built for was a different story. With a shove, Kaien opened the right of the two doors, stepping to the side to allow Rukia in before quietly closing it behind him.

Sitting behind the rectangular desk at the far end of the room was Captain Ukitake himself, currently placing a paper and putting it on top of a neat pile on his left, while simultaneously grabbing another paper from another pile on his right and putting _it_ in front of him. He looked up from his task to smile at the two.

"Ah, there you are." He said, putting his pen down on the desk. "Now I can finally tell you all what this is about."

It was only then that Rukia noticed the ten other Shinigami in the room. They were her squad mates, none of which were ranked officers. In fact, the only two that had even accessed their Shikai's were Jushiro and Kaien. Due to the ever-expanding roster of all the squads, it was understandable that, for all her effort, she couldn't remember a single one of their names for the life of her.

How Captain Ukitake did it was beyond her. Somehow, the man had managed to memorize every single squad-members' names, their likes and dislikes, hobbies, everything. The mere prospect of it almost made Rukia shudder. Even Kaien had moments where he awkwardly had to ask who somebody was. But no, not the Captain! Somehow he had managed it, and there was no sign of that changing anytime soon.

Regardless of whether or not Rukia actually knew their names, she also knew that Captain Ukitake had something in mind - about what, the Shinigami could only guess. Jushiro looked about the room, meeting the curious eyes of each man and woman, before his face changed from a gentle smile to one of absolute seriousness.

"I have a special job for all of you."

Captain Ukitake's words had everyone's attention. It was rare for the Captain to organize a "special job" altogether, let alone for the un-ranked Shinigami. There was no warning, either - as if he had just thought it up.

"Captain?" one of Rukia's squad members asked from the side, voicing the question on everyone's mind. "What kind of job? Why is it so special?"

Jushiro frowned, not like he was upset but as if he was torn over whatever he was about to say. "I'll get to that in a moment. First, I'll explain a little bit about what happened." He stood from his chair, and moved over to a tall window in the corner of the room. "I'm sure you're all aware, that there has been an absence of Hollow for a little while now. Thanks to this, we have been able to focus more on the security and comfort of those within Rukongai."

"A small team of Shinigami went missing in the 4th District of Western Rukongai. We believe they were attacked, but we have no idea by what. All Squads are sending out extra patrols to both ensure the safety of Rukongai and to potentially hunt down the kidnappers." _'Or killers'_ Jushiro added in his mind, sadly. "That's where you all come in."

He paused, sighing and deepening his already considerable frown. He was not happy with risking any of his subordinates, especially not those outside the Officer class. But it was a risk he felt he had to take.

Going back to his desk and sitting back in his seat, he continued the "briefing". "I have a hunch." He told them, not missing a beat as he continued on. "The group that went missing were all Officer-class Shinigami, with high levels of Reiatsu that could easily attract anything that had amateur levels of detecting ability. Suppose a Shinigami with a lower level Reiatsu, who was also keeping their Reiatsu at an even smaller level to deliberately avoid detection, was to watch over a patrol of Officer-class Shinigami. What do you think would happen?"

There was a moment of silence, as Captain Ukitake waited for an answer. Finally, another of Rukia's squad mates, a woman with blond, short-cut hair, replied "Whatever attacked the patrol, if it attacked again, would go after the Officers instead of the non-Officer..."

"...Allowing that Shinigami to watch whatever occurred unnoticed." Rukia found herself finish the answer, as she tensed slightly. She was beginning to understand what Captain Ukitake was getting at. In the far corner of the room, by the doorway, she heard Kaien grumble something incoherent, as he folded his arms and scowled at some invisible object on the floor.

He wasn't happy about this, either.

"That's correct." Jushiro confirmed with a sad smile. "We need to find out what attacked those Shinigami. I'm hoping it was only a wild-animal attack, but I doubt that was actually the case. I also doubt whatever it was will strike again so soon, but in the event it does, I want all of you to be ready."

He stood again, now speaking in an authoritative tone that was fitting for an experienced Captain. "Your mission is as follows: Rotate about Rukongai, checking up and watching the varied patrols that will be spread about the area. Watch, but in the event of an attack, _do not_ engage the enemy. I don't want any of you getting killed over this. Vice-Captain Kaien will be organizing you and detailing your routes before your departure." As he finished, he resumed the kind voice he usually used when talking to... Well, basically everyone. "Are there any concerns?"

"No, sir/Captain!" resounded about the room, especially loud due to its small size. As everyone left, Kaien paused and turned to the Captain.

"You sure this is a good idea? I can't protect them all if something happens. You know that." He said, sadly.

Jushiro nodded, slumping back into his chair before grabbing his pen to begin writing on the paper once again. "I know."

"What if you're wrong?" Kaien asked, as he turned to leave.

"I hope I am. We would have nothing to worry about." came the Captain's reply, earning an angry sigh from Kaien as he walked away.

_'Stay safe. All of you.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile...<strong>

Ichigo had arrived just in time to be given his assignment alongside the rest of his Squad. He and three others would be doing an evening patrol outside the 4th District of North Rukongai, for an as of yet unspecified amount of time. They were ordered to be ready to give assistance to the patrols at the 3rd and 5th Districts at a moments notice, just in case. Normally, patrols were done by Squad-less soldiers, designated "Patrol Men". But apparently the situation called for a more aggressive policy.

Aizen had explained the situation, about 3rd Squad's missing patrol, and had advised extreme caution for all patrols. Ichigo could understand that. They had no idea what had happened to the missing Shinigami. For all they knew, it could be a rebellion, or the local gangs, or the Shinigami may have even gone rogue. Ichigo assumed that the higher-ups didn't want anything to pass by unnoticed, thus the increased patrols.

Still, something was odd about the whole thing.

If the Shinigami had gone rogue, they would be able to determine where they were. The local gangs were never outwardly violent towards Shinigami, and they were far to disorganized to form any sort of alliance. A revolt... Just didn't seem possible. It would have to be small in order to not be detected - and a small rebellion was hardly an effective one. Ichigo didn't know for sure, but he felt it was most likely something else entirely.

_'But what?'_

You could practically hear the gears turning in Ichigo's brain, as he went to meet the others. While the orders were being given out, Ichigo had a moment to get acquainted with the people he would be working with for... Well, only Aizen knew. Ichigo was in second-command overall, being a 9th Officer.

Command of the patrol was given to Honami Kurata, 5th Officer. Somewhat pale and gray eyed, but with platinum blond hair, Honami was confident and a good leader, but also compassionate to others. Aizen had praised her abilities and stated that she could become a Captain in the future, but currently lacked the experience required.

Tsuginori Araki, 15th Officer. Olive skinned with brown hair and hazel eyes, he was the prankster of the group. It seemed he lacked any sort of the serious attitude that was normally required to be an Officer, but more than made up for it with his fighting ability. He and Ichigo had bantered for five minutes before Honami reminded them that they needed to be leaving.

Hyosuke Mizuno, 16th Officer. Hyosuke had dark brown eyes and hair, with fair skin - but also being the largest of all four of them. Just below Tsugi in rank, but not necessarily weaker in power, he kept to himself the entire time. Ichigo wasn't able to learn much about him, but he could feel the Reiatsu radiating off of him. Silent as he was, he was easily the strongest among the patrol. Aizen stated he hadn't moved up in rank, because he hadn't demonstrated any leadership abilities.

All in all, the four of them had gotten off on decent terms. For Ichigo's part, he wouldn't mind working with them - at least for a little while. Mostly he was just happy to actually be doing something, rather than simply thinking about it. Private training sessions with Zangetsu in his inner-world were great and all, but after a while it stopped having the same result.

He needed some action.

The gates hadn't been lowered yet, not having been necessary for a long time. But, "4th Patrol" had met at the precise area where the North Gate _would_ have been. Honami and Hyo were already there, but Tsugi was no where to be seen.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted as he approached. "You guys ready to go?"

"Would be." Honami started in reply. Ichigo noticed she seemed agitated. "We would be ready to go, if it weren't for you and Tsuginori being late as hell. I just got done telling Hyosuke that if you two didn't get your asses over here, I was going to be kicking some."

Hyo nodded quickly, a small bead of sweat crawling down the side of his face that Honami couldn't see. Ichigo felt sympathy for him, having been forced to listen to Rukia's angry rant very many times before. The ranting was enough to make you feel _you_ were the one being targeted, and not the person being ranted about.

"Lucky for you, you got here just in time to avoid pain." She finished. Ichigo sighed quietly, relieved. Unfortunately, Tsugi wasn't to be so lucky. "When the lazy-ass gets his ass over here, don't get in the way. Or else."

"R-Right..." Ichigo stammered, taking a seat next to Hyo. She _was_ compassionate. To those who deserved it. Right now, their late member did not deserve any mercy. At least, in Honami's eyes. Ichigo and Hyosuke, however, shared the same thoughts.

_'Poor bastard.'_

It was several minutes later that Tsugi arrived, and it was plain to see his reasons for being behind schedule. He had swollen bags under his eyes, the entire right side of his normally spiky hair was pressed flat into a gravity-defying side-mohawk, and the corner of his mouth had a tiny bit of residue drool.

"I have arrived!" He announced as he slid to a stop in front of the group, with a cheeky - perhaps, Ichigo noted, nervous - grin plastered on his face. He had a brown satchel of sorts hanging from his back, the red hilt of his Zanpakuto poking out on the side.

Honami quickly marched up to him, and nearly made Tsugi go deaf when she shouted "What the hell took you so long?!", all the while poking him on the forehead.

"A-Ah... Well, you see... I had some things to take care of and..."

_'You were napping!'_ Ichigo and Hyo thought in conjunction, staring at him from far behind Honami, both sporting half-annoyed, half-sympathetic expressions.

"That's no excuse!" Honami blared, and the rest, as they say, is history. No, really.

As he shouted back "I'm sorry!", he broke the record of highest flying Shinigami in the history of the Soul Society. The Shinigami Woman's Association even got a picture, and placed it in the next edition of the Soul's Book of Society Records.

"That'll teach him." Honami stated proudly, as she walked back over to Ichi and Hyo, who by this point were both sporting balloon sized sweat-drops.

"Uh..." Ichigo began, somewhat afraid to speak 'lest he get kicked into the lower Hemisphere as well. "But, now we'll have to wait for him to come back down."

"Y-yeah..." Hyo agreed, nodding slowly.

For a moment, Honami stared at the two, mouth open in a dumbfounded sort of way. Then it finally clicked.

"Oh, damn it all!"

* * *

><p><strong>Later<strong>

**North Rukongai**

**4th District - Hanamuji***

Hanamuji, despite being so close to Seireitei, had a strange lack of any habitation. In fact, the border of the District were made by the surrounding city - almost like a giant, square park in the middle. There was, of course, a reason for this. Hanamuji was known as the most beautiful District of them all, and Central 46 respected that title enough to forbid any future building in that area. No one actually knew how long that would last, but many hoped it would never change.

The District itself was made of nothing more than an open plain, with rising and falling hills. The thing that struck most as soon as they saw it, however, was the seemingly infinite abundance of flowers. Reds, blues, yellows, pinks; they were all there. Some you wouldn't expect to see in the same place, but by some Kido or other mystical means, they were there regardless.

Normally, being devoid of any civilization as it was, such a place would not be considered worth guarding. But orders were orders, and there was no real harm in it.

"A-a-a-a-achooo!"

Well, almost no harm in it.

"Gesundheit." Three different voices droned, practiced since this was the 20th time they had said it.

"This. Is. Going. To. Kill. Me-Achoo!" Ichigo half-complained, half-sniffed, rubbing his eyes to get the stinging away.

"Gesundheit."

"Shut up!"

After Tsuginori's atmosphere-breaking flight, and a far too painful landing in the Kuchiki manor's pond (made worse by Byakuya's close proximity), the four had rushed to their destination, already behind schedule. After arriving at the field, they quickly discovered Ichigo's slight, yet severely amplified by the sheer number of pollen in the air, allergic reaction.

"Good thing we're not trying to sneak up on anyone." Tsugi stated with a smirk. "If we'd have gotten caught, it'd be all. Your. Fault."

For a moment, Ichigo simply looked at him with an annoyed scowl, before he sniffed. "Ri-ri-Aaaa..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on a second! Not in my direction!" Tsugi shouted, cowering away. His eyes had closed, and when he opened them he saw the others walking away, with Ichigo smiling deviously back at him.

"Now it would be your fault." He said, sniffing.

"Screw you!" he shouted back indignantly, only to be met by Ichigo turning away. "Don't ignore me!"

Suddenly, however, Ichigo felt something. Like a prick at the edge of his mental radar. A slight, nigh undetectable Reiatsu presence. But one that was frightening all the same. _'What is that...?'_

"Hey, do you guys... Achoo! ...feel that?" Ichigo asked, trying to grab where it was coming from, but to no avail.

Honami answered for them. "Yeah. Keep a look out. We might have trouble soon."

* * *

><p><strong>Location Where<strong>

**The Western Gate**

**Normally Would Be**

Kaien had gone through the basics already. The plan was for each of the 10 Shinigami to rotate shifts around Rukongai. They each had a pre-assigned District to watch, and every 30 minutes they would switch the Districts around, specifics determined by the overall situation. Naturally, it would be very difficult to watch _all_ of Rukongai with only 10 Shinigami, so Kaien spread out the watch-points a decent distance from each other, to increase the radius of the "watch cordon".

He had just spread out a map of Rukongai on the floor, and was about to assign specific watch-zones, when he felt a menacing Reiatsu in the distance. "What the hell...?"_  
><em>

It was strange. He could feel it, and it was strong. But it was as if he couldn't latch on to its location. It was close, but so far away at the same time. Worse of all, it wasn't one he recognized. Rukia, and at least four of the other Shinigami, felt it as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Shino Academy<strong>

**Main Courtyard**

Despite the amount of time between Ichigo leaving the Academy and the current date, not much had changed. Izuru had advanced to the top of the class, not saying much as he was already close to begin with. Momo had toughened up considerably, though she was still the shy girl that she had been since they arrived. And Renji...

Renji had continued to be the instructors worst nightmare.

Despite all his best efforts, he still couldn't get Kido down. Nine times out of ten, there would be a massive explosion, and a burned-to-a-crisp red-haired Shinigami. At least he had improved his intelligence a bit, being able to at least avoid downright failing his classes. In physical ability, however, he more than made up for his shortcomings.

There wasn't a single person now who could defeat him in a duel. Not only that, but he had even managed to activate his Zanpakuto, Zabimaru, ahead of schedule. He knew _how_ to do so along with everyone else, of course. But it was rare to actually be able to use it at such an early stage. So he was at least tolerable.

The three had remained closed friends throughout the entire time, though Renji often challenged Izuru to fights - mostly considering nobody else could even attempt the feat.

A small crowd had gathered in a wide circle around the two combatants, the duels being a common spectacle yet an enjoyable one all the same. Renji and Izuru stood, blades crossed together as an 'X', both watching and analyzing each other for any openings. With a clash, both slid away from each other, sparks briefly fluttering to the ground where they once stood. For a moment Izuru wobbled, Renji's fierce blow having caught him off guard, before he regained his composure.

However, his guard dropped again when an overwhelming pressure overcame him, before vanishing like it was never there. Suddenly he felt faint, and he noticed sweat dripping down his forehead, as he collapsed to his knees. And he wasn't the only one. Several of the Shinigami-in-training simply either fainting or no longer able to stand straight. Momo seemed like she was on the verge of unconsciousness, but still holding on.

"H-hey! What's going on?!" Renji asked, not noticing anything both due to his own high Reiatsu and his failing detection abilities.

* * *

><p><strong>Abandoned Shack<strong>

**Unknown Location**

It was still as dark as ever. Some bizarre power seemed to be preventing the outside glow from even slightly piercing through the wooden walls. And yet, to him, it was comfortable. It contained fear. Madness.

Power.

Overtime, his servants too had begun to appreciate the darkness. To enjoy the feeling of strength that seemed to emanate from it. Little did they know that it, too, gained something from them. But he knew. He knew all too well what was necessary. What was required.

And it was time.

"Lord." A voice came from his right, as he sat upon a wooden chair at the back of the room. "They reacted exactly as you said they would. Everything is playing into your hands."

He smiled, then. The thought tickled him. Especially because no one knew what power he held. Or what power he provided. "Of course they did. I have seen it, and I have spoken it. Soon, Soul Society will fall. Now..."

His voice, formally sounding normal, almost human, turned into something more fierce. More menacing.

Now, his voice was heard by all who served him.

**"Strike!"**

* * *

><p>All over Soul Society, black holes in the sky, also known as Gargantas, opened up all at once. They numbered beyond the millions, and each of them dispersed more than ten Hollow. Their shrieking howls pierced every District, every soul heard their cries. All about Rukongai, the inhabitants looked on in both shock and horror. But the worst had yet to start. Even while the normal Hollow fell to the ground, giant cracks gradually tore open in the air, making way for the Menos Grande that stood behind them.<p>

Despite the sudden and fierce surprise attack, the Shinigami reacted quickly. Many jumped into action, and soon the entirety of Soul Society had become one big war zone. In Seireitei, the alarm was quickly sounded. The few remaining Shinigami who had not gone out of Seireitei's borders swiftly joined the fray. For every Shinigami that fell, another 5 Hollow was purified by their blade.

But 10 more always took their place.

Their numbers seemed endless. Not only that, but they weren't on mindless rampages. Overtime, the Shinigami began to notice the Hollow forming regiments of sorts. Consistently, three Gillian grouped together, and they would be guarded by 20 or so Hollow. And, gradually, they pushed through the far-spread Shinigami forces, eventually surrounding and separating groups from each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Hanamuji<strong>

"What the hell!" Ichigo yelled, as he slashed the mask of one Hollow in half. "Where did all these guys come from?!" He leaped back just in time to avoid being smashed by a thrown boulder, before twisting in the air to slice clean through another.

"What are you asking me for?!" Asked Tsugi, who stabbed his Zanpakuto into the throat of a large, greenish Hollow; promptly kicking it into a large group. They both moved to stand back-to-back, surrounded by a very large group of Hollow.

"You're the only one I can ask! Everyone else is over there." Ichigo said matter-of-factly, pointing his blade in the direction of a small group of Shinigami who were fending off wave after wave of Hollows. He had to quickly swing his sword around to beat down a Hollow attempting to body-slam the two.

Tsugi shifted his feet, stopping an elongated claw from stabbing him through with the wide-end of his blade before slamming said offending weapon into the ground, shattering it like glass. "...Point taken."

Suddenly both warriors felt a slight change in the weather. Or, the lighting, to be more precise. When they looked up, they were greeted by a decently sized Hollow, who landed roughly on the ground, causing smoke and debris to rise and blind all in the nearby vicinity. Fortunately, Ichi and Tsugi had just enough time to get out of the way, and both delivered a strike to opposite ends of the Hollow, ending its existence.

"This is getting ridiculous." Tsuginori stated angrily, trying to peer through the dust cloud to see what would happen next. Little did he know just how bad the situation was.

The floating dust and smoke was blown out of the way, when a Gillian tore through the sky to enter Soul Society. It marched over the battleground, not really noticing the Shinigami below, but remaining a very big threat to them all the same.

"You had to say that." Ichigo muttered, as both were left dumfounded by the Menos' sudden appearance.

* * *

><p><strong>First Division Barracks<strong>

**Captain's Office Balcony**

Head-Captain Yamamoto was, to say the least, not happy. And who would be, given his position? For hours, he had felt a nagging sensation that he knew all too well. Something was wrong. So terribly, terribly wrong. Yet he had failed to act on his suspicions; how could he? To act on a mere _feeling_ was stupid, illogical, and possibly a waist of valuable time and energy. Now, as he watched the Hollow invade the Soul Society, Rukongai and Seireitei alike, he felt nothing but frustration with the entire thing. He would berate himself, were it in his character, but it wasn't the time for brooding.

Now was the time to act.

"You sent for me, Head-Captain!" A communication Shinigami declared, kneeling to his superior from the entrance.

"There is no time to formally call the Captains to meet. Send word to all Captains, Vice-Captains, and Officers. Recover as many of our people as you can, recall them to defend Seireitei's walls." Even as he spoke, the walls, along with the North, West, South, and East gates dropped from... Seemingly nowhere. "Full release of Zanpakuto's are hereby permitted to deal with this crises. All manpower is to be diverted to purifying Seireitei of the Hollow's presence."

"Yes sir!" He replied, using Shunpo to leave to organize his comrades in delivering the message.

Yamamoto stood still, watching the chaos. The Hollow continued to drop into the Soul Society, continued to bombard Rukongai, continued to lay waist to Seireitei itself. Over all the fighting, over all the deaths and cries of pain, something continued to nag at the Head-Captain. It was almost as if he heard a voice. A voice trying to command him, but remaining unheard.

For now, he decided it was no concern. He had other priorities to handle. Soul Society needed to be victorious in this sudden surprise attack. This war. He would not let Seireitei fall - not now, and not ever.

* * *

><p>"A Menos?! Damn it." Honami grumbled, easily dispatching two Hollow, before leaping over the extended arm of a third and bringing it to its knees with a well placed kick to the back of its masked head.<p>

Hyosuke remained silent, but killed Hollow after Hollow, seemingly ignoring the giant Gillian that now loomed over the field. He simply diverted all blows sent his direction with his Zanpakuto, each time delivering a powerful attack of his own to vanquish his opponent.

When two Hollow attempted to sneak up behind him, both prepared to strike the Shinigami down, they were both frozen in place when a single sword cut through their abdomens, or what could be called such. Ichigo landed next to him, shortly followed by Tsuginori.

"So, uh, not to add pressure or anything, but eh... What the hell are we supposed to do about _that_?!" Tsugi demanded, being forced to leap away when a Hollow tried to swipe at his feet - then being destroyed by Hyosuke.

"...I can take it." Hyo quietly declared, gripping the hilt of his sword with both hands. Those present noticed his Reiatsu begin fluctuating, before rising rapidly as a dark blue aura. **"Pound; Chijosei*!"**

A blinding light overtook his katana, and you could see it changing form to that of his Zanpakuto. Two prongs extended from the base of the blade at a 90 degree angle, just above the hilt, going out a few inches before curving upward, like the horns of a bull. The blade became both thicker and longer, the width and length now being that of a great-sword rather than that of a katana.

As the Menos came ever closer, a red circle of light began to glow in front of its ginormous mouth, aimed directly at the Shinigami. A Cero would have made quick work of the entire situation. Hyosuke stabbed Chijosei into the ground in front of him, and his Reiatsu continued to rise. From the horns, a light of sorts shot out like a beam, crashing into the ground without actually causing any damage.

From that position, he shouted again: **"Gurando Hametsu*!"**

The earth in front of him began cracking and shattering, a tiny fissure starting at the tip of Chijosei creaked its way towards the Menos. Finally, after only a second, the entire ground beneath the massive Gillian collapsed, rocks flying in various directions as the giant Hollow, losing its footing, smashed into the ground. The Cero it had been charging until that point fired harmlessly into the sky, in a sense saving two birds with one stone.

"Wh-whoa." Tsuginori muttered, mouth partly agape at the now thoroughly wrecked ground.

"Yeah..." Ichigo agreed, though he had the mind to keep his mouth shut. Hyosuke released his sword from the ground, standing straight for a moment before stumbling and dropping to one knee. He was panting lightly, having exhausted himself with his attack. Unfortunately, it left him open to an attack from an over-sized Hollow, who stood above him with a clawed hand ready to strike.

"Hyosuke!" Honami shouted, being the only one who didn't stop to watch, and had just brought down another Hollow. "Look out!"

Her shouting brought Ichigo and Tsugi out of their brief stupor, but even so, they were still unable to move in time. The Hollow, laughing maniacally, brought its claws down upon Hyosuke. Only to be swiftly brought to a halt, when a long, glowing sword piercing its horrid mask.

"Th-that's..." Ichigo began, his mind flashing back to the botched training session in the real world, while he was still at the Academy.

"My, my! You really gots yerselves in some trouble, ain't ya'?"

* * *

><p><strong>Western Gate<strong>

"Stay together!" Kaien shouted above the carnage, as one by one Hollows fell to his sword. The West Gate, and its counterparts, had dropped into place almost immediately after the waves of Hollow flooded Soul Society, and the Shakonmaku was now preventing Hollows from appearing within Seireitei itself; but even so, their numbers were not dying down.

What had started as a group of 11 Shinigami, had now gone down to merely 5. All the others were busy on other fronts, either surrounded themselves or rushing to the rescue of others. They had adopted a box guard stance, each watching each others back. The Hollow that weren't attacking them were ransacking the city, causing massive amounts of damage.

Rukia almost couldn't believe it was all happening. Sure, she had seen Hollows before. She may not have even become a Shinigami, had it not been for the Hollow attack all those years ago. But even so, this was Seireitei! There were so many strong, capable Shinigami here! The idea that Hollows could so easily cause so much carnage, so much devastation... It wasn't something that would normally be thought possible.

But it was happening, so she fought. A swipe of her sword forced a Hollow to keel over, allowing her to easily bring down her blade to finish it off. Yet another jumped to take its place, but was quickly met with a hastily prepared **Shakkaho. **Unfortunately, an unforseen side-effect was that the red smoke now blocked their view.

"Crap..." A male Shinigami said from beside Rukia, being the one who launched the Kido. All the other's were coughing and gasping for air.

"Damn it!" Kaien yelled, spinning on his heel to put down the Hollow he knew, by its Reiatsu levels, would be attacking first. As it turned out, there was no need. Suddenly, the smoke was whisked away, and the Hollows roared in pain, anger, and fear, as they were annihilated.

"What?" Rukia wondered, before a tiny, pink flower petal drifted in front of her.

**"Scatter."**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that was fun. For me, I mean. I don't have any idea how it was for you lot. That's what Reviews are for, right? Anywho, I think I was a little bit all-over-the-place with this chapter, and for that I apologize. I had a bit I wanted to get done, and tried to find the best way to mix it together!<strong>

**So, tell me your thoughts - ideas on how I could improve would be appreciated! Yes, that was me begging you for reviews! :P **

**Until next time!**

* * *

><p><strong>Definitions: <strong>

**Hanamuji - Hana muji (hopefully) means "Flower Plain". I just took out the space inbetween to make it look more like a name.**

**Chijosei - Chijo sei (hopefully) means "Ground Conqueror". As before, I combined the two to make it look more like a name.**

**Gurando Hametsu - "Ground Destruction". For once, I didn't have to combine them together.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey all! I'm back with another chapter for you to read and, hopefully, enjoy! I'm proud to say that, for once, it actually took me less than a month to update the story (By one whole week!) Woohoo! ...Right, anyways. I would have gotten this one up sooner, but had a little bit of Writers Block and couldn't think of anything. So, this time, it was completely and totally my fault! xD**

**Anyways, thank you for your reviews and comments - they really, really, really mean a lot to me! I doubt I'd keep going if not for the support, so thanks again!**

**Now, I'm going to shut up, so you can get on with the Chapter. Hope you enjoy the show!**

* * *

><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. What I do own, is all the various OCs that I put into this story - they are MINE! ...I think. I'll have to check the contract again...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: The Hollow War<strong>

**"Scatter."**

It was with that one, simple word that the Hollows were forced to flee, or face utter destruction. Like a tsunami, a wave of microscopic blades, reflecting as a pink aura against the sun, crashed through the monstrous ranks. **Senbonzakura** was swift and brutal, leaving nothing but the Shinigami as survivors in its wake.

"Whoa." was all any of Rukia's group could say at the sheer power of the Zanpakuto - its Shikai form, no less. Kaien, however, was quick to push the advantage the Captain had given them - Byakuya himself overlooking the plaza from the tip of a nearby rooftop. The Vice-Captain began spinning his own katana, before shouting **"****Surge, Water and Sky; Nejibana!"**

His katana taking the from of a hybrid halberd and trident, Kaien charged forward, utilizing Nejibana by surging water at the remaining Hollow. Now it seemed as if nature herself had turned to aid the Shinigami. On one side, Nejibana's water blasted through one Hollow after another, while on the other Senbonzakura's blades, appearing as sakura petals, kept their ranks at bay.

These Hollow, however, were smarter then the Shinigami would have given them credit for. Finding that a direct assault was no longer proving effective, they attempted to jump over, and dig under, the shield the two warriors had created. When that was easily countered by Byakuya, who simply brought Senbonzakura around to deflect the flanking Hollows, the monstrosities decided it was necessary to go after more vulnerable targets.

So, they did.

Displaying a phenomenal display of coordination, the Hollow rushed at Kaien's group in droves, intent on distracting the Zanpakuto - an act which allowed three Hollow to get behind Byakuya. As they descended upon the Captain, however, he made no motion to evade them. He didn't need to. A Shinigami flashed through the Hollow via Shunpo, striking them as he went. The unsuspecting Hollow didn't see it coming, and each split apart across the midsection before disappearing into nothing, while the Shinigami appeared next to Byakuya.

He was blond haired, with a round face and a sharp chin, on top a thin yet muscular build, and sporting a confident smirk - topping it all off with a pair of shiny sunglasses. His name was Ginjiro Shirogane. Vice-Captain under Byakuya Kuchiki, and owner of Gin Tonbo, the glasses store.

Captain and Vice-Captain both flittered out of sight, utilizing their advanced speed to hit the beasts in rapid succession, without the Hollows even being able to react. Byakuya didn't even stop for a breath, as he directed his miniscule blades to fly through the mass of Hollow - taking down several at a time. Ginjiro displayed his own considerable talents, as he kept pace with his Captain, destroying every foe that crossed his path, flipping, spinning, and rolling out of the way of the few lucky strikes that made their way to him...

All while keeping his sunglasses on, and intact.

Kaien wasn't letting the two warriors take all the credit, either. Nejibana at his side, he charged into the enemy ranks. With his trident he slashed through, with his halberd he smashed against. Those that were fortunate enough to avoid the initial strike were swiftly blasted by a harsh stream of water. Spinning and twisting his Zanpakuto around him, he almost casually struck down one Hollow, while simultaneously slamming another into the ground - all while blasting three more. It seemed as though a whirlpool followed him, and he was virtually untouchable.

Rukia, and the three other Shinigami with her, were simply left to watch the Officers work - awestruck by the simple efficiency with which they destroyed their enemies. Rukia had her eyes glued on Byakuya the entire time, marveling at the power behind her elder brother's attacks. And she knew very well that he was holding back. If he was fighting at full force, his presence wouldn't be noticed, such would be his speed - yet the Hollow wouldn't last longer than a minute. He was reserving his strength, so that he could continue fighting against the invading army for a longer period of time.

Unfortunately, that resulted in him having to take more time to dispatch the Hollows. Regardless, the surprise attack was enough to turn the battle completely around. Where once the Shinigami were fighting with their backs to the wall, now they pushed forward, exterminating the Hollow at every turn. And Byakuya wasn't the only Captain who charged into the fray.

At the South Gate, Captain Sajin Komamura created huge amounts of devastation with his Bankai, **Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō**'s gigantic form. With a single swing, he cut massive swathes of Hollow down, not to mention the buildings that were in the way. Such destruction was to be expected when a Captain fought at full strength, especially one with such a wide attack range as Sajin. Not even the Menos Grande were safe from his power, three having already been struck down by his massive blade. When a fourth attempted to strike at him with a Cero, he easily caught the glowing red energy and threw it right back.

The aftershock of the rebounding energy caused an explosion, blasting apart multiple Hollows where they stood. The smoke cleared to reveal the entire area had turned into one big wreck. That was to be expected, of course. It would be rebuilt, when everything was finally over. The Captains understood that fact more than anything - the only thing that mattered to all of them was ending this battle as quickly and decisively as possible. If that meant giving Central 46 a massive headache, so be it.

Watching his back was Captain Kaname Tosen. Where Sajin fought the Hollow with brute strength, Kaname used skill. Avoiding the savage blows of the monstrous Hollows - and also the ones from his helmeted companion - was a simple feat for him, having a sort of natural ability to detect motion, trained simply by his blindness. While Sajin controlled his Bankai, Kaname stood at his back, ensuring no enemies would hit the Captain while he was distracted. If any damage was done to Sajin, it was also done to his Bankai - and that could not be allowed.

Any Hollow that approached was swiftly cut down. Kaname effortlessly stopped a Hollow from grabbing him with its massive hand by slicing right through it, before lunging forward and slashing through its ugly mask. Another beast that was foolish enough to try and sneak up behind him was caught completely by surprise when the blind Captain back-flipped over its head, bringing his blade up right between the Hollow's eyes as he did so. Using the back of the Hollow's large head as a foothold, he pushed himself into the air before shouting **"Suzumushi Nishiki; Benihikō!"**, and sending a barrage of multiplied blades over the battlefield.

Shunsui and Jushiro also displayed their teamwork, honed by years of working together as two of the oldest Captains in Seireitei. Using a combination of high-speed Shunpo, advanced Kido, and impressive flurries of lightning fast strikes with their dual Zanpakutos, they casually dispatched an impressive amount of Hollow on their own. They charged through the vast army, side-by-side to prevent any from sneaking around the other - a strategy that seemed to always meet with success.

**Katen Kyōkotsu **at his sides, Shunsui cleaved clean through a Hollow with his tachi, and swiftly brought his wakizashi around to destroy another. He repeated the process, only in reverse - using his wakizashi first this time before striking again with his tachi. No matter which way he swung, his blades always made contact with his target, decapitating Hollow after Hollow with an amazing amount of speed. It made it all the harder for the distant Menos to get a fix on the Captain, causing them instead to blast their Ceros at their own forces.

One, however, was smarter than that. It wasn't a mindless Gillian, but one who had a dominant personality. So, instead of trying to shoot directly _at_ the high-speed Captain, he fired ahead of him. Out of the corner of his eye, Shunsui saw the blast headed his way. He muttered an "Uh oh." casually, not actually phased by the incoming projectile. He raised his wakizashi in order to deflect the red energy, but his action proved to be unnecessary. Jushiro darted in front of him, pointing the left blade of his **Sōgyo no Kotowari **at the Cero.

Within seconds, the massive collection of spiritual energy had been absorbed by the Captain. The charms dangling from the rope glowed an eerie yellow, and soon his right blade followed suit. He aimed his sword at the Menos who had fired the Cero, and launched it right back at it! The Gillian screamed in pain as the Cero made impact, the force pushing the Hollow back on its heels, before finally blasting apart the top half of its body altogether. The now bodiless legs toppled backwards, crushing numerous Hollow under its weight before vanishing into the air.

"Thanks, Jushiro!" Shunsui said, putting down a Hollow that rushed him.

The white-haired Captain replied "Don't mention it." with a smile, before joining his friend in culling the enemy forces. "I wonder where all these Hollow came from. And why they're attacking now." Jushiro wondered aloud, while remaining right beside Shunsui.

"I have a feeling we'll find out, sooner or later." Came his relaxed reply, before both Captains used Shunpo to dash back into the action.

Some Captains did not use such teamwork, however. Soifon was one of them, preferring instead to use her own considerable speed to flash through the Hollow. Her Zanpakuto, **Suzumebachi, **equipped upon her right hand, she tirelessly used its two-hit-kill ability, **Nigeki Kessatsu**, to destroy the monsters before they even knew she was there. Meanwhile, her Vice-Captain, Marechiyo Omaeda, tried for all his might to keep up with his Captain, often instead acting as a decoy as he shouted "Captain, wait for me!" and other such phrases. Ironically, rather than serve to keep him safe from the Hollow by being close to Soifon, it only drew more and more attention to himself.

As the bulky Vice-Captain ran through the Hollow, all sweaty and out of breath from the effort, he was forced to jump back to avoid crashing into his Captain, who had appeared for only a moment to deal quick, decisive blows to a Hollow before vanishing once again. Marechiyo, wiping the sweat from his brow, let out a relieved sigh at the close shave, spinning around with a sort of "Gah!" exclamation and parrying a Hollow's axe-like hand. Contrary to the _'I'm scared for my life'_ impression he had been giving, he let out a, dare I say, _proud_ laugh. "Hah! Did you see that?! I am the great and mighty Marechiyo Yoshiaya- Ah!"

Two things happened all at the same time; the first was that Captain Soifon Shunpo'd in and destroyed the Hollow. Normally, this would be a good thing for Marechiyo. However, when, within the same second, the Captain also delivered a painful kick to his face - it turned out to not be quite as good as he would have liked it to be. "C-C-Captain!" He stammered, clutching at his face in pain and agony.

"Quiet, you noisy buffoon! You're a shame to the Onmitsukidō!" She stated firmly, scowling down at the Vice-Captains cowering form.

"You're so mean, Captain!" he accused in reply, only to find that she had already run off to continue the fight. Muttering something about unbelievably stern Captains, Marechiyo stood and ran, rather clumsily, into the fight.

And finally there was the carnage ensued by Kenpachi Zaraki. His Reiatsu was felt across all corners of Seireitei, by both Shinigami and Hollow alike. He laughed as he rushed around the Court of Pure Souls, laughed as he struck down piles of enemies, laughed when Hollow managed to get a lucky hit only to do no damage at all. He was having the time of his life, searching for the strongest Hollow he could find. Unfortunately for him, these Hollow had roughly the same power levels, so he found himself fighting the same battle over, and over, and over again.

Still, his unnamed Zanpakuto was swung this way and that, Kenpachi using brute force to blast through his enemies. Some of the weaker Hollow were destroyed by his Reiatsu alone, an occurrence that was happening far more frequently as the battle went on. Finally, Kenpachi stopped slicing and dicing, and his manic smile dropped to a frown. "What? Is this all they've got?" He asked, accidentally raising his Reiatsu high enough that all the Hollow in his vicinity disintegrated under the pressure.

Suddenly, a small, pink-haired girl in a Shinigami outfit popped up on his shoulder. She was laughing as if nothing was happening, and seemed oblivious to Kenpachi's Reiatsu. "It's 'cuz Kenny is strong!" she said, smacking her father-figure on the back of his head, earning a tired sigh from the Captain. The ground shook with a great rumble, causing Kenpachi to turn his head - and promptly come face-to-foot with a Menos. Kenpachi looked up at the giant Hollow's mask, and smiled happily. "Now that's more like it! Yachiru, hang on!"

"Aye, sir!" the little girl replied joyfully, and the Captain sprang into the air. The Hollow had barely registered the Shinigami's presence when, with a single one-armed swing of his sword, Kenpachi struck the Hollow in half, right down the middle. He landed with a thud, his smile being replaced with a bored frown, as the Menos crashed into the ground. "Huh? Down already?" he said at the disintegrating corpse, cracking his neck to the side. "There's gotta be someone strong around here."

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><p><strong>Research and Development Institute<strong>

Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood over a large operating table in a dark room. Monitors beeped and flashed, as data poured onto hundreds of screens. Wires and tubes were connected to a struggling Hollow, with razor sharp claws and a mask looking like a demonic lion of sorts. It was strapped down by five thick bands, each restricting the Hollow's movement. Even if it wasn't strapped down, it couldn't move anyways. Mayuri had already administered his poison - the beast before him was now only a specimen to him.

As a blackish ooze squeezed through a clear tube into a vial, the liquid coming from the Hollow's brain - or what could pass for one -, Mayuri's attention was firmly fixed on one of the many computers in front of him. While the inconsistent numbers and patterns that popped up into his view were only jibberish to anyone who was watching, Captain Kurotsuchi seemed immensely intrigued by what he saw. He gave an almost lecherous smile, showing his hideously stained teeth, as he pounded sequences into the keyboard.

"Fascinating..." He said to no one in particular. "I have never seen such a thing before. A pheromone... So that's why the Hollow aren't fighting each other."

Suddenly, the Hollow on the table beside him let out a horrible scream, before a faint gurgle escaped its throat. Mayuri looked away from the data - having now stopped upon the creature's death - and watched as the last bit of black goo escaped the fiend's brain and was sucked into the vial. One last look at the monitor gauging the Hollow's mental state, then at the one watching its soul strength, told him enough. The Hollow was dead, having finally succumbed to the tortuous experiments. But something was certainly surprising for the scientist.

"How strange..." He began. "I specifically injected the soul strengthening steroids." His attention was drawn once again to the large screen that previously held his attention. "Not enough data. Nemu." He didn't turn his head away from the monitor as the Vice-Captain approached from a dark corner.

"Yes, Sir?" She replied, quiet and calm, arms held behind her back.

"I require another test subject." He proclaimed, not bothering to motion to the dead Hollow lying on his operating table.

She nodded her head, saying "Right away, Sir." before walking away.

Mayuri grumbled lowly to himself, as he walked up to the table the lifeless Hollow was torn apart by his Reiatsu. He knew there had to be a reason for the Hollow to suddenly work so well together. And he had found it. A new kind of pheromone, one which gave the Hollow a distinct feeling that other Hollows were its allies, and it was not to harm them. There were also other compounds, new compounds that weren't a part of a normal Hollow's genetic structure. Perhaps he could write it off as an evolution of the Hollow. But it wasn't so simple as that.

When everything new within the Hollow, he couldn't recognize... There was definitely a very, very big problem.

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><p><strong>Head-Captain's Office<strong>

Head-Captain Yamamoto overlooked the battlefield, hunched over on his cane. To an observer, he looked to be sleeping on his feet, with his eyes closed and an almost peaceful expression on his face. In actuality, he was carefully observing the events unfolding at his doorstep, watching as the Gotei 13 began gaining the advantage against the Hollow's army with the timely arrival of the Captains and Vice-Captains. The walls and **Shakonmaku** now prevented the Hollow from entering from above or within Seireitei itself, and the four Guardians stood on the outside, pounding everything within reach.

Inside, the Shinigami were swiftly and systematically eliminating all the Hollow, and more and more Shinigami arrived from outside the walls every minute. Where as the Hollows once had the element of surprise, now Seireitei's forces held the advantage of fortifications - and a decent knowledge of the area. You didn't train, live, and work in an area without knowing your way around the place, after all! It was not only the Gotei 13, either. The Onmitsukidō, under directives of Captain Soifon, were acting as assassins of sorts. Menos Grande and other, larger Hollows were targeted and swiftly destroyed by the ninja-esque Souls.

As Genryusai observed the war, a knock came to the door behind him, across the room. His Vice-Captain, Chojiro Saskibe, upon only barely opening the door and peeking out, turned to his Captain and stated "It's the Kido Corps." After the Head-Captain gave a grunt in reply, the veteran Vice-Captain opened the door to let their guest in. He was a short man, being smaller in stature than even Yamamoto as he was hunched over, with long, silver hair being combed away from his forehead and light green eyes. He wore the Shinigami uniform under a green cloak, with a hood hanging loosely behind his back.

To his right was a larger man, almost exact opposite to his companion. He had short-trimmed, almost military style black hair, with a somewhat graying goatee. He wore the Shinigami uniform only, but had a steel armor piece that covered his entire right arm and fist. He was a giant by most standards, though not to the extent of the four Guardians, being of the physical build of a bodybuilder. Both men were grim faced, angry that the Hollow were causing such devastation.

"Head-Captain." said the shorter man, with a bow. "Sorry for the delay. The Kido Corps is in position, and at your disposal."

"Very good, Kido Corps Commander Kanbe Iijima." Genryusai replied, turning around to face his visitors. "While the Gotei 13 secures the interior of Seireitei, the Kido Corps will prevent anymore Hollow from entering."

"You wish for the **Rei Hitei-sū Shōheki** [_Spirit Negation Barrier_] to be activated?" Kanbe asked, raising an eyebrow at the Head-Captain. "Without Central 46's permission?"

Genryusai shook his head, both hands resting on his staff in front of him. "An appearance before the Central 46 would take time - time we do not have."

"And what of the Shinigami still outside the walls? If they don't make it back before the incantations are complete..." Kanbe replied, hands folded behind his back. "...they'll most likely not survive."

"It's a risk we have to take. Our enemies' forces seem limitless, and we cannot continue to fight forever." The Head-Captain said. "We need to create a safe buffer between us and them, to allow our soldiers time to rest and reorganize."

With a sigh, the Kido Corps Commander bowed in resignation, before turning to his partner. "As you wish, sir. Come, Takeji!" The Vice-Commander nodded, respectfully bowing to the Head-Captain, before following Kanbe down the hall.

Chojiro closed the door upon the Kido Corps departure, the latch silently clicking shut. Impassive as ever, Genryusai turned to face the battleground again, just as a Menos fired a Cero into a courtyard, causing a large explosion. For a few moments, he watched the carnage, listened as he heard not only the painful cries of Hollow being struck down, but also the screams of agony from the Shinigami. The deaths of _his_ men.

This would not stand.

He stood straight, bones creaking and cracking as he did so, and rolled his shoulders - throwing off the top portion of both his Captain's Haori and his Shinigami uniform. His staff, lifted into the air and held horizontally, disintegrated into nothing to reveal a sword in its sheath. In a flash, faster than any Shinigami could possibly move, the Head-Captain appeared in the sky, between a group of five Menos.

"Time to teach you a lesson. No one strikes a child in front of its parent!"

He grasped his Katana's hilt, and pulled it out of its sheath, his Reiatsu rising higher and higher as flames engulfed his form. As he pulled his sword out, a blast of red flame shot out of the sheath and soared high into the air. Shinigami and Hollow alike looked on in awe and fear at the display.

**"Reduce All Creation to Ash!"** He began, all the while surrounded by the swirling blaze. **"**Ryūjin Jakka!"****

The Gillian were engulfed in the crimson embers, as immediately the firestorm spread over a vast area. With a simple swing of his Zanpakuto, Genryusai destroyed whole Platoons worth of Hollow - without the damage to the infrastructure that Sajin would have caused with his Bankai.

Shunsui stopped mid-stride to take in the sight, it being both familiar and a rare treat all at the same time. He chuckled, holding his straw hat atop his head with his fingers when a particularly strong blast of wind raged by. "That's Grandpa Yamamoto for you."

Jushiro nodded. "Yeah. He never wastes any time."

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><p><strong>With Ichigo<strong>

**Wherever That Is**

"Ya' really gots yerselves in some trouble, ain't ya'?"

_'That voice...'_ Ichigo thought, and he knew his three teammates were probably thinking the same. Hyosuke stood to his feet, a bead of sweat running down his face as he struggled to catch his breath. He would have been dead, had _he_ not shown up when he did.

"Vice-Captain Ichimaru!" Honami greeted, her face lighting up considerably from the serious expression she had previously been sporting.

"Hi!" He returned, his smile the same as ever, as he stepped over a pile of dead Hollow, each having pierced through by **Shinsō**. His Zanpakuto had shrunk back down to its usual dagger form. The Hollow all seemed frozen in place, twitching as they tried to move, but couldn't. "Looks like I gots here just in time." Ichigo could have sworn he saw his smile get even more devious as Gin said that.

"Thank you for saving me." Hyosuke said, having finally regained control of his breathing and perspiring much less.

"Sure, sure, don't mention it." Gin stated, waving him off as he turned to face the Hollow - or, one group of Hollow, to be precise. "We gots ta' get back to Seireitei, soon."

"To hell with that!" Tsuginori yelled, as he bolted to leap into the Hollow once again. Ichigo quickly rushed to his side, grabbing his shoulder to prevent him from continuing his course. "We can take them! With the Vice-Captain here..."

Ichigo shook his head, his ever-present scowl deepening. "No, Vice-Captain Ichimaru is right. We're outnumbered, and Hyosuke is worn out." He bopped his head over towards where Hyosuke stood - while he seemed ready enough to fight once again, his breathing was labored.

"Well, that's one reason." Gin stated with a brief chuckle, as he pointed his blade towards Seireitei - the massive city easily seen in the distance. Even from there, they could all see the bright and brilliant flames that Genryusai unleashed. "Head-Captain's gonna' use the **Rei Hitei-sū Shōheki** [_Spirit Negation Barrier_] soon. Don' wanna' get caught on the outside of that!"

"W-What?" Honami asked, eyes wide with shock. "Is the situation that serious?!"

Gin nodded, his creepy grin not lowering one bit. "Yup! Even the Captain's have joined in!" His nonchalant tone, while expected, was out of place given the situation. His Zanpakuto still raised at the Hollow, his smile widened and his eyelids creaked open. **"Shoot to Kill!" **The Zanpakuto shone bright, as it rapidly extended farther and farther, blasting through everything in its path. With a quick twist of his wrist, the Vice-Captain threw the blade to both sides, effectively creating a path on to Seireitei, before it shrunk back down. Only barely turning to face the four, he said "Well, see you there!" before flashing away.

"Okay. Let's go!" Honami ordered, as she led the way through the Hollow. The others followed quickly behind her. Finally, the Hollow snapped out of their stupor, and, roaring, charged at the Shinigami.

"Damn." Ichigo muttered, swiping his sword to the side, and splitting a Hollow mask in two. "Here we go again."

Honami let out a frustrated groan, before saying "Don't get too distracted! If we don't get back to Seireitei in time, we're screwed anyways!"

At that moment, two more large Hollow slammed down on the ground in front of Honami, smoke rising in their wake. Tsuginori leapt forward, dispatching them with a spinning slash. "These stupid Hollow aren't making things easy for us!"

Hyosuke butted in, staying between Ichigo and Honami for protection. He could move, but after the effort of collapsing the ground to stop the Menos, he couldn't fight for much longer. "They'd rather weigh us down with numbers, then let us go."

As Ichigo cut through another monster, he pondered Hyosuke's point. He was right - as common a tactic as it was for the Hollow, they seemed determined to slow the Shinigami down, regardless of how many were cut down. The Hollow were stupid, yes - but even they should know when to call it quits. But they hadn't. "They're trying to stop us from getting to Seireitei?" Ichigo thought out loud, gripping his sword tighter.

"Seems so." Honami agreed, side stepping to avoid the hammer-like hand of one Hollow before slicing off the offending limb. "Everything's messed up. Hollow normally don't work together on this scale, let alone willingly commit suicide charges."

"They're far too organized, too." Hyosuke spoke again.

Tsuginori looked back at the three with a confused expression. "What the hell are you guys talking about?"

Grunting as he leaped over the body of a large Hollow, Ichigo asked "So the Hollow are taking orders from somebody, or... Something?"

"We can only assume so." Honami confirmed, nodding her head. "But let's focus on getting back home for now. We can talk with Captain Aizen afterwards."

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><p><strong>The Great Wall<strong>

**...Of Seireitei**

Through all the madness and carnage, several hundred of mysteriously dressed individuals landed on the wall. They wore the Shinigami uniform, but also had cloth wrapped around their faces as a mask that draped down their fronts and backs. They stood straight and tall, eyes closed, and held their hands in a hand seal. Kanbe Iijima and his Vice-Commander, Takeji Tsukabishi, stood themselves at the northern gate, in a similar position.

The Kido Corps had moved into position, thankfully without drawing the attention of the Hollow. Those monsters were much more interested with the Captains, who rampaged through their ranks without breaking a sweat. Several Shinigami, however, moved closer to the wall, to better protect the undefended Kido experts.

For some time, they stood there unmoving. There was no sign of action, nor of any spell of any sort. But then, the air became heavy, and the blue sky darkened. A purple aura surrounded the wall, dim at first but slowly increasing in density and visibility.

"Men and women of the Kido Corps," Kanbe began, silent but, through Kido, heard by his underlings. "Seireitei is counting on us! We are all that stands between us and full annihilation! We can _not_ fail! Commence the incantation for the **Rei Hitei-sū Shōheki** [_Spirit Negation Barrier_], immediately! We will burn the Hollow that enter to the ground!"

"Yes, sir!" replied each, the purple aura now expanding to engulf the individuals themselves.

Takeji glanced solemnly at his Commander, before saying "It has been a long time since we last used this. When father was still Commander."

"You're right." Kanbe replied, with a frown, as he raised his hands above his head to channel the combined energy. "I had hoped the day wouldn't come when it would be used again. If only Master Tessai had completed his work before he was banished." The Kido Chief sighed, as he felt his body briefly pulse with Reiryoku before he forced it outward. "No matter. Perhaps one day, I might continue where he left off. For now, this accursed Kido is our only option."

* * *

><p><strong>The Shack<strong>

**Err... The Dark One**

His black eyes bolted open when a fearsome aura overcame the area. At first, he was disorientated - as all are after waking from slumber - but he quickly fought off his stupor when he realized what had awoken him. He stood from his wooden chair, it creaking from the loss of weight. He stepped silently into the light, not even squinting from the sun. Resting his hand on the doorframe, he came to a stop at the entrance.

He looked to be a young man in his early twenties, with deep black hair and equally dark eyes. Despite being in the shadows most of the time, his skin was actually quite tan - and he was of an average stature. He wore a business suit-esque attire - black tuxedo with an equally black tie, pants, and shoes. He had a long sword strapped to his back, with a bright green sheath and a golden hilt.

The shack itself was a rickety old building, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It found its footing in a circular meadow surrounded by a forest of green trees, and looked to be ready to fall over at any second. However, it did provide a clear view of Seireitei through the doorway, a view the man looked upon constantly.

He smirked at what he saw - over Seireitei a purple-colored Reiatsu had risen up into the air, increasing in pressure and size as the minute dragged on. "Finally." He said, as his smirk turned into a wide grin.

"So that's it, huh?" Came a voice from within the shack, its speaker hidden by the shadows.

"Yes. My plan is finally coming to fruition. Soon, everything will be in place, and our objective will be within our grasp." He answered, taking his hand off the doorframe to shove it into his pocket. "Heath, we will move out within the week. These beasts are effective because they require little to no effort to control, but mindless savages cannot accomplish the mission alone."

There was no answer, but the one now known as Heath remained standing where he was.

"The enemy has been weakened by the initial onslaught, just as I planned. I want to strike while they're still reeling from the assault - before they have time to regroup." He continued, turning back to his chair as he walked. "Prepare yourself. Death waits for none, and everyone must be able to move quickly and efficiently - or suffer the consequences."

As he sat back in his chair, a response was finally given. "Of course. You can count on us, no matter the trial."

He nodded in affirmation, before waving his hand saying "You're dismissed." His companion stepped away, leaving him to his thoughts. _'Soon...'_ He thought, as his grin dropped.

_'Soon your suffering will be over, my lord. Your enemy will die, and you may return to your throne. Just as it should be.'_

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><p><strong>There you have it! One... Uh, more Chapter! Yeah... Anyways, sorry about the long wait, and I'll do my best to decrease the amount of time in-between updates. As I said, it should be considered an achievement that this one happened in less than a month. It all really depends on whether or not I get Writers Block again. That really sucked... :(<strong>

**Anywho, hope you enjoyed the read! Please feel free to give a review with your thoughts - or if you have any questions or concerns about the story, or advice on my writing/story telling. Thanks! See you soon! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys, apologies for the wait. Job searching and prepping for college zapped my time, and I didn't have a chance to work on Born a Shinigami for all of last month.**

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><p><strong> ImSeriousBro: Gin is pretty damn epic. I'm trying to do him justice (as I try with all of the characters), but I'm worried I'm not pulling it off right.<strong>

** Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Holy review spam, Batman! xD I'm glad you like it!**

**Darkdoombringer: Maybe. Maybe not. You'll just have to wait and find out! :P**

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><p><strong>I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying the story. Hopefully I can continue to entertain!<strong>

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: Still don't own Bleach. Might be a good thing at this point - at least Kubo (usually) gives weekly updates!<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Beginning of the End<strong>

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><p><strong>'Let my enemies cry, and my allies tremble;'<strong>

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><p>The Kido Corps stood above Seireitei's wall, arms held high in the air in front of them, with palms outstretched towards the heavens. The purple, flame-like aura had only continued to expand in size and strength, being channeled by the Kido experts to cover even the Senzaikyū and Sōkyoku Hill. Kido Commander Kanbe and his Vice-Commander especially advanced the activation of the barrier, pushing more Reiatsu into it than anyone else.<p>

Within the flame, a thin, black, shell-like substance had begun to grow directly above the Senzaikyū, and had steadily increased in size to stretch over Seireitei. This was the true **Rei Hiteisū Shōheki** [_Spirit Negation Barrier_], an ancient Kido that had been in use before the Gotei 13 was founded, though to a much smaller extent. Back then, it was a personal shield of sorts, rather than one designed to protect a city. Over the years, the Kido Corps had managed to change that, and now it served to protect Seireitei from large-scale threats.

Of course, the spell took quite a while to cast, not to mention a great deal of effort. A single Shinigami couldn't hope to accomplish it on his own, and neither could several. Indeed, the entire Kido Corps had gathered along the wall, and yet the spell's strength was increasing painfully slowly. The Hollow continued to attack, their instincts telling them to stop the group at all cost - but the giant Gatekeepers continued fighting back at full force.

* * *

><p><strong>'Let the elders disdain, and the children flee;'<strong>

* * *

><p>Kaiwan at the east gate, Shōryūmon. With savage fury he swung his trident, shining gold against even the smoky sky. The triple blades carved through the Hollow, ending their rampage before it could begin. The weapon was covered in gleaming gold from the back of the rod to the tips of its tri-bladed end. A painted blue serpent curled around it, its tail starting at the base of the weapon's handle and its nose ending at the very tip of the middle blade.<p>

The eastern giant matched the dragon's fierce appearance. With his jagged teeth and fierce glare, he almost seemed like a dragon-turned-man. His temperament, also, agreed with that image. He growled as he arced the trident horizontally, forcing it into the ground - neither Hollow nor earth standing up to his strength. He twisted it to its side, and dragged it across the ground with speed to the right, sending yet more debris and Hollow into the air with nothing more than a dust cloud left in its wake. With a single hand, he lifted it off the ground and casually repeated the process in the opposite direction.

In this way he defended his gate, the Blue Stream Gate. By constantly using the same combination of devastating attacks, he was able to keep all of his enemies away - without hardly moving a step. The much smaller Hollow couldn't even get close enough to fight back, instead being annihilated at a distance. It was a continuous routine, but it changed when five Menos, who had gradually been closing the distance, finally came into range.

Their presence made Kaiwan pause - the strategy he had been utilizing until now would not work against the similarly sized Gillian. Not only that, but their Ceros were something Kaiwan would rather not be hit by. He used his trident as a support as he dragged himself to his feet, having been in a sitting position earlier. Still hunched over, as all the Gatekeepers were, he glared at the Menos, although they continued on undaunted.

It was then that he raised his weapon into the air, spinning it above his head. He waited like that until the Menos got closer, and then he brought the blunt end of the shaft down unto the ground. The impact cracked the hard rock, but it was not only the earth that recoiled from the strike. Highly pressurized water shot up out of the ground, engulfing Kaiwan and also blasting out towards the Menos. It didn't take long before the fast-paced stream of water blasted the Hollow, obliterating them outright.

Kaiwan emerged, water dripping from his large body, as the wave subsided. He grinned, pleased with the result of his attack. Yes, the little remnants of Rukongai nearby that hadn't yet been destroyed were now thoroughly thrashed, but the Hollow were, for the most part, gone. The giant let his bum slam against the ground, as he rested the trident over his shoulder. An incoherent grumble escaped his lip (shocking, for his size), as Hollow freed themselves from the rubble they had once been trapped under.

So, with a snort, he swung his weapon down into the ground again, once more continuing with his previous strategy. It worked, at any rate. Maybe not as efficient as a Captain, but Kaiwan got the job done. Just like anyone who was, or was previously, a member of the Eleventh Squad.

Maybe it wasn't pretty, but the end result was all that really mattered. However, the giant was thoroughly surprised when he heard a faint voice yell from below.

"Damn it! You got me all wet, you overgrown freak-show!"

* * *

><p><strong>'The angels will wail, the demons will dance;'<strong>

* * *

><p>Danzōmaru of the North Gate, Kokuryōmon. Here, a gale like no other whipped around the area, forcing Hollow to grab hold of the rock beneath them as they struggled to push forward. The wind was strong, stronger than even a hurricane, and in fact by its very force pressured the ground enough to crack it. Such was its velocity, that electricity jolted through by the friction in the gale, though it was weak in strength.<p>

And the source of this super-gust? The Northern Giant himself. He twirled his spear around himself at high speeds, his incredible strength being all the power he needed to change the course of the wind itself. The staff had a brown shaft, two golden handgrips, and a silver dagger for a tip - itself connected directly to the rod. However, none of its features were visible as he swung it around and around and around all over again. Just a blur, a nearly perfect circle of a fan - though far, far more deadly.

The gale stopped suddenly when Danzōmaru ceased spinning his staff. With one last move he slammed it into the ground, finishing off the rest of the Hollow with a quick blast of wind. He inhaled a deep breath of air, sighing as he let his arms rest. He was strong, but even he could not continue spinning the giant spear all day. His rest was cut short when four Gillain approached, howling at the giant while trudging closer and closer.

"Fools." Danzōmaru grumbled, barely even acknowledging the Hollows with his head lowered, facing the ground. "Don't they know such aggression can only cost them their lives?"

Admittedly, his query was based solely on the fact that Danzōmaru really didn't want to fight. He was the pacifist of the giants, preferring instead to talk with any visitors he would receive or sit around reading... giant books. However, he learned from experience that what he wanted didn't always happen. For example, when he was transferred from the Eighth Division to being the Northern Gatekeeper. Above all, that was not something he wanted. Still, as one of the four largest Shinigami in Soul Society, he couldn't really fit in the barracks anymore.

From what his old Captain, Shunsui, told him, their current Vice-Captain wouldn't appreciate the giant's presence much, anyways.

The Hollow pressed on, and Danzōmaru knew that he "had to do, what he had to do". He hefted his spear up, so that it was held vertically at his side with the pointy tip extended out to aim at the Menos - while he held it at the shaft's center. Then, with speed absolutely shocking for a being of his size, he charged the Gillian, reaching the lead Menos in under a second. His weapon skewered through the Hollow's mask, and the giant leaped off the ground, using both feet to push his opponent into the dirt.

Standing atop the fallen Menos' decaying body, he then span the spear above his head, and stabbed it into the Hollow directly next to him. At the same time, he was delivering a fierce kick at the third. Both Gillian collapsed backwards, leaving Danzōmaru to face the sole remaining Menos. It was out of range of his spear - and he barely had time to react when it gathered a crimson orb in front of its mask.

The Gatekeeper brought his weapon in front of him, spinning it rapidly so that it once again became only a blur against the surroundings. The Cero blasted forward, forcing Danzōmaru back as it slammed against the spear - the rod acting now as a shield more so than a weapon. The energy splashed off like water against concrete, but it maintained its pressure as the giant's feet crushed the earth behind him. Finally, the ground gave way, and Danzōmaru slid back and slammed against the North Gate.

He grimaced, the pain shooting through his back not being above what he could handle, but still unwanted. If it weren't for the air currents destabilizing the Cero, created from his staff, the condensed energy would have exploded by now - and that would not be good for the giant. That shield wouldn't last forever, either. Even with his strength, his arms had already begun to sting from keeping the Cero at bay.

Lucky for him, Danzōmaru didn't have to hold it for long. Suddenly the Cero stopped, the remaining Reiatsu bouncing off his spinning spear and dissipating into the air. He looked, and realized that the Menos now had an elongated sword puncturing through its mask. Slowly, it reduced back down to its source, removing itself from the Hollow's oversized mug. The purification process had already begun as it fell forward, and before the Gillian could his the ground it evaporated with a blast of spiritual energy.

"Wow! Everyone's needin' me fo' somethin'!" Gin exclaimed, as he walked through where the Hollow would have been. When the Vice-Captain's feet reached the tip of the mini-canyon - created when Danzōmaru was forced back by the Cero - he gave a mock-impressed whistle, smiling up at the surprised giant. "Ya' really made a mess, ain't ya'?"

"Ichimaru." The giant greeted simply, his face betraying no emotion - though he was annoyed at Gin's nonchalance. Danzōmaru glanced around the battlefield, and after seeing no more enemies he rested the spear against the wall. "You wish to enter?"

"I'd be mighty grateful!" Gin replied, before throwing a thumb over his shoulder. As the giant glanced towards the distance, he saw a small group of Shinigami navigating the ruins of nearby Rukongai. And, by "navigating", they were running for their sweet lives from a group of more-than-angry Hollow.

Danzōmaru got the message, loud and clear. With a firm nod, he turned around - his steps causing tremors, even though he didn't intend to. He bent over, and grasped underneath the heavy gate, and grunted as he attempted to lift it. Within a few seconds, his veins were bulging, and sweat dripped down his forehead - but finally, he yanked the gate upwards, holding it above his head.

* * *

><p><strong>'Lords of pain, kings of sorrow;'<strong>

* * *

><p>"How much farther?!" a man shouted between gasps, as he ran alongside at least twenty other Shinigami. No one answered, each silently wondering the very same question. Ichigo and a few others, however, were more focused on getting there safely, instead of how long it would take. The Hollow were right on their heels, laughing insanely as they pounced after the group.<p>

Ichigo was forced to a stop when a, thankfully,_ normal_ sized Hollow literally crushed the Shinigami directly ahead of him - the very same that had shouted just seconds ago. The beast did so by leaping into the air and landing right on top of him, the impact collapsing the rock below it and sending the Shinigami next to and in front of it sprawling. Ichigo reacted quickly, forcing his blade through the Hollow's abdomen horizontally, separating its body from its legs - and causing its head to face-plant while its legs ran around like a chicken, before both sections dispersed.

When he landed, Ichigo chanced a look back, and saw a Hollow send five Shinigami flying with a single strike from its jagged claw. They were catching up, closer and closer - soon, there would be nothing between the entire collection of Hollow and the small group of Shinigami. On the bright side, Ichigo looked forward and saw the gate not too far away. If they could just make it a little farther, they would be home free.

The giant already had the gate held open, and a very long Zanpakuto swung around from an unidentified figure - though Ichigo knew full well who it was. Gin was busy keeping all hostiles away from the gate, giving the giant cover until the rest of the army could make it through. It could not be said that the Vice-Captain was having a hard time - rather, he was just smiling creepily, like he always did, as he casually dispatched four more Hollow with a single swipe of his blade.

Suddenly, Ichigo realized that there was a presence above him. He would have thanked his Reiatsu training, but didn't have the time as he was forced to leap away, landing with a roll across the ground, as a Hollow 'crater'd' the space he had previously been standing. He sprang back to his feet, intending to twirl around and counter-attack, but before he could make a move a Zanpakuto shot past his skull and pierced the Hollow's "neck" - leaving Ichigo wide-eyed and sweating profusely.

"Wh-what the hell... I hate that guy." was all Ichigo could really say, as the Zanpakuto shrunk back to its owner. Really, it wasn't hard to believe that the Vice-Captain was somewhat on the "less-than-sane" side. That, or he found some insane pleasure in absolutely terrifying those under his command - and those who weren't. It wasn't only Squad Five that dealt with his "cheery" persona, after all. But, no matter what could be said about his personality, one thing remained true. He could hold his own against a Captain, and that wasn't something you just overlooked.

Perhaps it was due to Gin's skill and power that the group's pace increased dramatically. Almost as soon as the platoon was within range of his Shinsō, their speed almost doubled. Whether that was because Gin was keeping the Hollow off of their back, or because all the Shinigami feared getting in Gin's way, Ichigo couldn't say. All he knew was that he was getting the hell out of Rukongai, and back into Seireitei! Not that he was a coward, because he wasn't. Still, they weren't winning any points outside Seireitei - the Hollow just kept coming.

Within minutes, the first of the Shinigami passed under the gate. Gin swung his blade left and right, still smiling away with squinted eyes, as the flock passed him by, rushing past Danzōmaru as he struggled to keep the gate open. Ichigo, caught in the middle, never had the chance to see what Gin was doing - although if given the chance, he probably would have kept running.

"I think that's all of 'em!" Gin exclaimed jokingly, when the last of the Shinigami had made it through. With a broadened grin, he swung his Zanpakuto around in a wide, horizontal arc, destroying the few Hollow that remained. It seemed yet another wave had ended. Sheathing the blade, the Vice-Captain walked through the gate as well. "Appreciate'n all the work ya' put inta' keepin' it open!"

With a quiet nod, Danzōmaru let the massive door drop as Gin turned away. He walked a few steps, but stopped, glancing over his shoulder back out into Rukongai. With an open eye, he saw in the distance a single shadow making its way towards the wall. As the gate finally slammed into the ground, Gin continued to stare, the image burned into his mind.

And for the first time since this invasion began, his perpetual grin had turned into a frown.

* * *

><p><strong>'Swords ironed, spears hefted, arrows volleyed;'<strong>

* * *

><p>A burst of flame erupted from the tip of Higonyūdō's fiery torch. For this giant, steel was not part of the weapon. Rather, he relied solely on his scorching flames, generated via a constant stream of Reiryoku so as to never be doused. With a single breath, the blaze expanded into a wide swath of area, and blasted upwards before dissipating into the horizon. Naturally random patches of burnt earth dotted the area, as well as still-active flames that refused to die out.<p>

This was the southern giant, Higonyūdō - guardian of Shuwaimon. For more than a millennia, the flame upon Higonyūdō's torch had remained burning strong. The lantern was a brown oaken wooden handle, with a solid steel band clasped to the tip. Wrapped around the band was a sort of wool, and it burned bright yellows, reds, and oranges. The wool was specially customized to continuously absorb Higonyūdō's Reiryoku, and channel it into an active flame. For that reason, the Beacon of the Red Hollow Gate had never been extinguished.

And it would not today, either.

Another breath, and the blaze burst outwards, burning Hollows to nothing more than charcoal over the ground. Of course, this method did not downright eliminate the beasts altogether. There was still enough left of them to be purified, and thus maintain the balance. But even so, most of the Hollow didn't even have time to react to the barrage of blazing fire.

It was this wall of blazing embers that prevented the gate from ever being breached in the past. A powerful force, not to be so easily trifled with. Only one last small group of Hollow remained to charge the giant, and with a simple blow onto the flame, he incinerated the beasts without a passing thought. When the smoke and flame cleared, joining the clouds in the sky, the Hollows were completely gone. Instead, in their place, was a lone, small, insignificant man, who stood in between two patches of smoky flame.

"Oh?" Higonyūdō murmured, smiling down at the unidentified individual. "Who might you be?"

* * *

><p><strong>'Calvary charging, O' destructive beasts;'<strong>

* * *

><p>The ground shook and rubble flew, a barrage like that of a chain-gun blasting large debris into Hollow, destroying the demonic beings in droves. With a single swing from his mighty axe, Jidanbō brutally slaughtered the few beasts that remained. The continuous routine had lasted almost as long as the invasion. Not a single Hollow had yet to even reach the giant. Strangely, with each swing, he displayed an amazing amount of accuracy - not a single building in Rukongai was damaged by flying debris.<p>

He guarded Hakutōmon, the West Gate - and he was renowned as the strongest and greatest of the four Gatekeepers. In all his years, not a single person had ever breached his gate. In fact, only one had ever survived his first blow, and he went on to become a Captain. Of course, that man also ended up slaughtering the previous Captain of that division, an act Jidanbō didn't wholly approve of, but that was a different story, for a different time.

One last swing of his axe eliminated a group of Menos approaching from the distance, more rocks and stones blasting through them like bullets through wood. Dust hovered over the ruined ground for minutes, not a sound coming from below. It seemed, for a time, like that was all of them, like another assault had ended. In a way, it had. But they were wrong.

So terribly wrong.

Suddenly the smoke and dust split in two, right down the middle, like a blade cutting through butter. Like a gale, a blast of fierce wind, an arcing blade of silver energy blasted into the giant, sending the hulking Shinigami spiraling into the gate. The firm construct held, not buckling in the slightest under the Gatekeeper's weight. Jidanbō never even registered the hit. One second he was defending Seireitei from the invaders, and the next thing he knew he was flying through the air. Despite the pain that blasted through his back upon contact with the gate, he remained on his feet. But, the attack effected him psychologically.

He blinked, scanning the field with wide-eyed surprise. Could someone have possibly survived the onslaught of debris? Was that truly what happened? No, it couldn't be. No one could survive an attack like that! Whoever it was must have been hiding, waiting for the moment when Jidanbō was distracted, so that they could strike. What a cowardly and impolite move! Obviously, they merely startled him with their sudden appearance, and he had tripped up and backed into the gate. Of course!

"Who dares disobey the rules of the Soul Society?!" he roared with enraged fury, before his eyes finally rested upon a man standing below, a good distance from him. "Fights are to be one on one, and you interrupted!"

"This is war, Gatekeeper." The man replied simply, though shouting so the giant could hear him. "Rules only apply when both sides agree to the terms."

With wavy, black hair hanging down to his upper neck, chocolate brown eyes that shined with amusement, and what could only be considered a kind smile, the man was dressed in a dark cloak buttoned around his neck with a white chain wrapping around his right shoulder - coming from the center of his back and ending at the center of his chest. His skin was a light tan, and he held a sword in his right hand that gleamed against the sunlight. His other arm was tucked away within his cloak, but his visible limb revealed a snow-white sweat shirt was worn under the cloak.

Jidanbō growled down at the intruder, considering him nothing but an insignificant ant. "I see, you're from the country. Then I will educate you on the rules of the city! Rule Nu-"

"That's quite alright!" the man interrupted with a broadened smile, his stare not wavering at the giants mighty form. "I am well acquainted with the rules. If you wish to fight one on one, I am more than happy to comply!"

Mentally, he was deadpanning. He _was_ the only enemy still there. Was this giant that stupid?

For his part, the Gatekeeper burst into a fit of ferocious laughter. Was this upstart, this country bumpkin, really stupid enough to think he could defeat the mighty Jidanbō, guardian of the West Gate?! That was foolishness by its very definition! The man hardly acknowledged the giant's outburst, even while the rims of his coat floated with the blasts of wind Jidanbō's laughter created.

"V-very well!" Jidanbō managed between gasps. "If you insist!"

It didn't take long for the giant to rear his axe up high, and with a loud roar he swiftly brought it down upon the singular individual. The impact caused the ground to crack and a shockwave to blast out from the impact zone. His strength itself was enough to create a crater in the ground. Jidanbō smiled happily to himself, fully convinced the battle was over. It always had ended at this point, except on that one other occasion. However, his smile turned to a frown when he realized something quite surprising.

He couldn't move his axe!

"Amazing! I can see why the Soul Society trusts a being such as you with the keeping of the gate. You certainly are strong!" a voice, the very same that had been said by the man earlier, called from below. Jidanbō's eyes widened in shock once again, and he realized that no matter the strength with which he pulled, his weapon was stuck in place.

"Impossible!" he declared, veins throbbing in his arms and forehead as he tried in vain to remove his axe. "No one has ever survived my attack, but one!"

"Is that so?" he replied, just as Jidanbō felt the weapon being moved to the side. To the giant's shock, he saw that his axe had been impaled on the man's sword. The blade was stuck firmly inside the axe's surface, the giant weapon's steel cracked around the pierce-point, and nothing Jidanbō did could force the weapon free from his enemy's grip. What's worse, was that this small, tiny invader was still only using a single hand. "But then, I survived too. Perhaps it's not so impossible as you had thought?"

Jidanbō snarled, baring his second axe upon the man. However, before the giant could move further, his opponent swung his sword in a tossing motion, sending Jidanbō and both of his axes flying against the gate. Again.

"Now, now, isn't that unfair? You said this would be one on one, but now you're using two weapons, not one." the man said, still smiling happily as he approached the fallen giant.

Jidanbō slowly pushed himself into a sitting position, his back resting against the wall. His head felt like one of the other giants had just landed on it, aching and throbbing as he tenderly rubbed a forming bruise. The first thing to make contact with the hard surface of the wall had been his poor, thick head - and that was enough to daze even Jidanbō to the point that the world was spinning!

The man chuckled at the Gatekeeper's state, casually making his way over. "Looks like you're out of it. I'm sorry, but you've lost."

* * *

><p><strong>'O' demonic warriors, heed our call;'<strong>

* * *

><p>Kaiwan wasn't happy. He thought he had won, but next thing he knew some upstart was just staring up at him. It startled him for a moment, he hadn't even noticed the kid approach. That's what he was, too. Just a boy, a little lad who appeared barely on the verge of his tweens. The water was up to his knee caps, and it wasn't even that deep! Although, he was soaking wet, which was pretty humorous.<p>

His dark-red hair barely came down to the middle of his forehead, spiking three times - once in the middle, and once over each of his thin eyebrows. He had brown eyes that had an eerie shade of red closer to the middle, with a round head that still held a touch of baby-chubbiness around his cheeks - only further amusing the giant with his angry glare. He wore a basic, dark-brown t-shirt with a pink arrow-head symbol on the front, and blue, knee length jean shorts. His bare feet were hidden well beneath the water.

On his back was a bow and quiver, proportionated to the child's size.

The giant smiled, holding back a snort at the sight. This boy was wandering out in the middle of the warzone. What, did he think he could actually help? The poor kid was probably disillusioned by heroic tales of the Shinigami and their battles against the Hollow. Heaving a sigh, Kaiwan kneeled down to the lad.

"You lost, son?" he asked, trying to give the nicest voice he could - failing horribly; he was a giant, after all. That, and his fierce expression wasn't exactly comforting - in any sense of the word. What Kaiwan wasn't expecting was for the kid to grab his bow, and force an arrow down the string, aiming right at the giant. Without a word, the child let the sharp arrow loose, and it flew towards Kaiwan at a speed greater than should normally be possible. The giant had enough time to sigh, believing the small, insignificant projectile to be of no threat to his well being.

He yelped when there was an explosion - a _very_ large boom. An orange blaze erupted from the giant's chest, sending Kaiwan skipping across the ground roughly. He stopped himself, slamming the dull end of his trident into the ground, before he was able to go far. He growled at the kid. He tried to be nice. He didn't know what the hell that brat laced his arrows with, but they stung like hell. Now, Kaiwan was going to play rough.

His weapon still shoved into the ground, Kaiwan let go with his hand, and flicked the golden trident with his index finger. For a moment, nothing happened, except a sharp ringing echoing from the trident. However, just as before, a thick stream of water blasted out of the ground, and rampaged towards the young boy. The giant frowned sadly, as he didn't really want to hurt a little kid. There wasn't any honor in that. Unless you counted the Eleventh Squad's current vice-captain. That girl was downright scary!

Much to his surprise, the boy didn't react like he thought he would. Kaiwan suspected that as soon as the wave rushed the boy, he would become panicked and run for dear life. However, the child didn't move, as he just glared at the incoming water, glared at Kaiwan, glared at Seireitei.

Hell, he may as well have been glaring at life.

Kaiwan looked on with widened eyes, when the kid simply hooked another arrow through his fingers, and took aim at the incoming water. Sure, his arrows had some powerful explosives on them, but did he really think he could take on the entire wave? It was impossible! It had to be!

And yet, the child let his grip loose, flinging the arrow towards the oncoming water. The arrow hit the stream, and for a second nothing happened. Then, the explosion occurred. Unlike before, however, where the blast resonated over a larger area, the flame erupted _awa__y_ from the boy entirely, shooting towards Kaiwan. It was drilling, rather than expanding. The explosion forced the water apart, and it harmlessly rushed past the kid. Kaiwan couldn't believe what he was seeing. This brat... This kid was good. _Too _good.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the giant questioned with a scowl, glaring down at the boy who had yet to even move from his spot.

The kid seemed to consider it for a second, but then shrugged, lowering the bow slightly. "Mother doesn't want me to talk to strangers."

Kaiwan chuckled at the answer. "You're talking to one now, aren't you?"

The child blinked, and seemed to be deep in thought. His eyes scanned the pooling water below him, as if looking for his feet beneath the rushing stream. Then, he looked back up to Kaiwan, frowning at him. "You're right. Mother would be displeased."

Kaiwan blinked, and that was all he had time to do. He never even saw the kid fire the arrow, and yet he saw one flying directly to his face. There was no time to move, he couldn't even jump out of the way. This would hurt. A lot. With another **boom**, it was all over. Smoke wafted around the area, the result of the child's bombs. Through the thick cloud, he could see Kaiwan's giant, unmoving body, lying still on the concrete - a large amount of blood seeping out of his mouth. He wasn't dead, but he'd be knocked out for a while.

Two down.

* * *

><p><strong>'Free our souls, save thou's wrath;'<strong>

* * *

><p>"Who might you be?" Higonyūdō had asked, yet no answer came. The flame giant frowned down at the man, glaring at him with a fiery hate almost matching the heat from his torch. He didn't like it when punks ignored him. It just really made him mad. Of course, anyone who knew the giant personally also knew that <em>that<em> was a big mistake. He had a ferocious temper, which was probably fitting considering his obsession with flames. This newbie wouldn't know what hit him.

He wasn't anything special, at least as far as Higonyūdō was concerned. He wore an unassuming white jacket, zipped to the top with its hood hung over his head, and equally white sweatpants. Long black hair hung down past his right eye, and his left - dark brown in color - looked half-open at the giant. His hands were in their respective jacket pockets, and he carried an overall bored look to him. Match his expression with his pale skin, and he almost looked sickly.

"Hey, bastard, I asked you who you are!" the giant bellowed, the flames of his torch wavering under his breath - his stinky, horrid breath. Still, there wasn't a reply. Higonyūdō was sick of being ignored. With a snarl, he harshly exhaled into the flame, sending the fiery embers at the man in a horizontal arc. The heat was tremendous, scorching the ground without even touching it, and it blasted into the intruder with explosive force.

The flames burned for only a few moments, and began to die out as more and more smoke filled the sky. Then, to the giant's surprise, the flame's intensified, and began circling around and around and around - like a blazing tornado. The wind began to turn with it, expanding upwards with the blaze at it enveloped into a fiery cyclone! It rotated for only a short while, the spinning flames shooting up even higher than the wall of Seireitei before it dissipated into the air. Then, with a gust of wind, it vanished altogether, once again merely leaving the giant and the man in a deadly staring contest.

What frustrated the giant so much, was that the man wasn't even singed. His jacket was in perfect condition, there wasn't an ounce of scorched land around him, and not a single drop of sweat was on his forehead. What was different, was that his eye, once dark brown, now shone a sharp red - almost glowing, even.

Then, without even a mutter, the man gave a breath of his own. Much like a flamethrower, a stream of pure flames rushed out of his mouth, expanding and drastically increasing in size as it approached the giant. Higonyūdō flinched with surprise, and in response launched another blast of his own with a growl. Blaze battled blaze for but a brief few seconds, before the man's attack overpowered the giant's. With an explosion that rocked the southern gate, Higonyūdō was sent flying back, and by the time his body had come to a stop just a few inches away from the wall, he was already unconscious.

After all that, the man with the white jacket had yet to make a single move.

* * *

><p><strong>'Purify, unholy souls!'<strong>

* * *

><p>The gate slammed with a ferocious tremor, and Danzōmaru breathed a sigh. Even for a being of his size and strength, the four gates were incredibly heavy. A smaller soul hadn't a chance of opening it themselves. The giant wiped a droplet of sweat from his left temple, huffed, and then turned around. He was hoping to catch a rest before the next wave came, whenever that was. Unfortunately, it was interrupted when he noticed the man standing below him. Who he saw gave Danzōmaru pause. "You're..."<p>

With neatly kempt brown hair and tanned skin, he wasn't even looking up at the giant with his brown eyes. His mouth was shut in a grim line, he had dark bags under his eyes, and his face was cracked with wrinkles. At his waist was a katana, the design of the red hilt indicating it was a Zanpakuto, and his arms hung loosely at the side of his black kimono.

"You're Lakatsu!" Danzōmaru exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise. "They said you went missing! We all thought you were dead!"

Lakatsu didn't reply. His eyes slowly drifted up to the giant's face when Danzōmaru said his name, but his body didn't move. They stood like that for a while, neither showing a single motion. Everything became horribly quiet, even the distant sounds of battle became farther away - nothing more than an echo. Not even the Hollow's dreadful screams broke the silence. Danzōmaru realized that he was clearly hearing his own heartbeat - not that great a feat, considering how big it was.

After a few seconds, he did notice one faint sound, coming from somewhere in Rukongai. He couldn't quiet make it out, so he couldn't tell what it was, but he knew it was there - whatever it was. It soon became apparent that the noise was getting louder, like a gust of wind shooting through a mountainous valley. The noise was amplified suddenly ten fold, the giant finally knowing what the sound was - but no more closer to understanding it. It seemed as if a thousand voices were all wailing and moaning and once, like a pool of ghouls.

They overwhelmed him, the frequency and harshness of the shrieks so loud that Danzōmaru found he was no longer able to think straight. Everything was blurry, a daze. He couldn't concentrate. That's when Lakatsu's mouth opened into an 'o', and his eyes snapped open. Danzōmaru was hit by a long, black spear that had shot out of the Shinigami's chest, sending the giant sliding back until he was pinned against the wall. The projectile that hit him was made completely of energy, a corrupt and tainted one Danzōmaru had never seen before.

Through his wince and after grunting from the pain, the giant managed to ask "What are you doing, Lakatsu?! What is this power? This is not your Zanpakuto!"

It was not, however, Lakatsu's voice that answered the giant. Instead, a voice echoed over the area, and Danzōmaru felt severe dread creep over his neck. It chuckled a dark, sinister laugh, and Lakatsu grunted and screamed in pain. **"Don't be so quick to point fingers, Danzōmaru!"** the voice stated behind a hardly veiled laugh.

"Who are you? What have you done to Lakatsu?!" Danzōmaru demanded, despite being unable to free himself from the spear's hold. He realized in the back of his mind that the weapon had penetrated the wall.

The demonic voice laughed again, drowning out Lakatsu's screams of agony. **"That's hardly your concern. Death waits for no one. Fear not, you will not be awake to witness the end of the world!"**

That was when the black spear erupted. Without warning, the shell shattered, and a wave of black energy engulfed Danzōmaru from head to toe. It covered him in a thick layer, remained there for only a few seconds, before it began to melt off of him at a slow pace. Visibly pale with his eyes rolled back, he fell first to his knees, then the rest of the way with a big thud. The energy pooled together like a stream, before melting _through_ the ground.

And with him, all the giants fell.

* * *

><p>Kido Commander Kanbe felt a lump build in his throat at what he was seeing. While the Kido Corps was hard at work preparing the Kido, unidentified beings had appeared and, within seconds, wiped out the four Gatekeepers. This had never happened in the last 10,000 years of Soul Society's existence! Whoever they were, they were all very powerful. But, he smiled. The Gatekeepers had held off long enough, and most of the Shinigami had managed to get back into Seireitei.<p>

These _outsiders_ were too late.

* * *

><p><strong>'Unholy dome, hide our sins;<strong>

****"Rei Hiteisū Shōheki!** [_Spirit Negation Barrier!]"_**

* * *

><p>A bright, golden light engulfed Seireitei, originating from the top of the Senzaikyū<em>. <em>It replaced the darker Reiatsu the Corps had been generating, forming a dome around the entirety of Seireitei, following the borders created by the Shakonmaku. The four warriors who defeated the giants blinked from their spots, disappearing as if they had used Shunpo, so that they were out of range of the circular shield, nice and safe in the ruins of Rukongai - a fact that made Kanbe frustrated, but as long as they were out of Seireitei itself, he would take the small amounts of luck they were given.

The shining glow, originally an intangible globe, increased in Reiatsu density until it became a solid shell. Nobody would be passing through in a while, unless they were capable of producing power similar to the level of Yamamoto - yet anyone could still see through it, as if they were looking through a light screen of fog.

The Kido Corps was a wreck after channeling Kido for so long, and even Kanbe was panting lightly. With a deep sigh, he motioned for his Vice-Commander to follow. They had to report what they saw to the Head-Captain immediately. Anyone who could defeat one of the Gatekeepers was a big deal - and they were looking at four. It seemed this invasion was more than a simple Hollow raid. It was all out war, and they didn't even know who was declaring war on them.

Captain Soifon would have her work cut out for her.

* * *

><p>The four men had gathered at the north gate, just outside the newly created dome. Danzōmaru still lay comatose just in front of the gate, though some color had returned to his skin and his breathing had steadied. They studied the barrier in silence, watching as the Kido Corps disbanded from their posts at the walls. Suddenly, the one in the white jacket, who had fought Higonyūdō, stepped forward - lifting a hand out of his jacket to touch the barrier.<p>

"Stop, Ji." warned the man who brought down Jidanbō, his smile having dropped to a cautious frown. "Even you don't want to touch this."

As if to prove his point, a group of Hollows charged the dome - only for them to be blasted by Reiatsu and destroy instantly. Sensing this, the remaining legions of Hollows formed a circular parameter around Seireitei. Despite their loses, the demonic beings' numbers were still easily in the hundred thousands. The war was far from over.

At the sight of the Hollow's destruction, Ji calmly stepped away, shoving his hands back into his jacket pockets. The boy who had defeated Kaiwan stepped up from behind Lakatsu's body, his bow hooked under a strap crossed against his chest.

"With this here, we won't be able to reach the target." the child noted, glaring towards the north gate. "Mother will be displeased."

Lakatsu grunted in pain, but still made no movements, when the same dark voice that Danzōmaru heard replied. **"Well, we can't have that, can we?"** it said with a laugh. **"Heath, what do you think?"**

Heath smiled, waving a hand towards the barrier from outside his cloak. "What, this? I can certainly tell why Central 46 outlawed its use unless in extreme cases of emergency. It's almost as vile as you, if I dare say so."

The voice giggled again, a strange occurrence with its demonic and deep tone. **"Perfect! The Head-Captain is playing right into my hand."** Lakatsu's body shuddered, and his dead eyes rolled back in his head as he underwent a vicious seizure. Eight black spikes shot out of his chest, piercing the ground below him faster than a human eye could track. The earth began to crack and rise - the vile energy expanded through the stone like the roots of a tree. They were all on a straight path under the barrier.

The shadows left him, and Lakatsu collapsed to his knees before looking back up at the group. Life had returned to his eyes, yet there was a glint to them that wasn't normal. A faint crimson light in the back of his eye, with an even darker shade beneath that. He smiled, and stood to his feet - wobbling slightly before regaining orientation.

"How do you feel, Lakatsu?" Heath asked, smiling at the Shinigami with a humored tone.

Lakatsu breathed in, then out - a deep sigh as he closed his eyes for but a moment. Then they snapped open, and he smirked as his hand moved to his Zanpakuto. "Like I've been born anew."

Heath nodded, and looked to the side towards the gate. "That's good! Shall we purify your fellow Shinigami as well?"

With a nod, Lakatsu grinned and walked towards the barrier - drawing his sword as he did so. It glistened against the light reflecting off the surface of the shield, a bright yellow against the silver steel.

"Let's begin."

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><p><strong>Well, there it is, the next chapter - and thus far the longest! Kind of felt weird towards the end, though, like I was missing something. Maybe I was just getting lazy, I don't know. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the read, and I'll get another chapter up as soon as life lets me!<strong>

**Please leave a review with your comments, questions, or any advice you can offer. I love seeing your responses!**


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